Whether it is dyes or clothing, construction materials, cosmetic products, medicines or beyond, nanoparticles are found in all manner of products. As well as naturally occurring nanoparticles, there are many others that can be synthetically and selectively produced for use in industry. Thanks to their miniature size, the particles have different physical or chemical properties than larger particles of the same substance. They react more quickly and more strongly, and have enlarged surfaces that offer more space for active or functional substances.
Pharmaceutical industry
The gentle purification of valuable proteins
Protein purification is a complex but necessary part of biotechnological production processes. In recent years, a separation method known as membrane adsorber technology, which promises both a high degree of purity and maximal protein yield, has emerged as a potential alternative to previous approaches. The principle is based on a membrane made of an organic polymer such as cellulose or polyethylene, which contains chemical substances that interact with the produced proteins, causing them to be filtered out of the culture medium.
nova-Institut (2017): Market study on biobased polymers
The turnover with bio-based polymers increased from €11 billion in 2014 to nearly €13 million in 2016.
These and more results are available in nova-Institute’s market study “Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers – Global Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021”. The study gives an overview of the biobased world market with latest data on capacities and applications. Additionally it shows real data for 2016 and a forecast for 2021.
Peptides for everyone
Although peptides are already often used in cosmetics or the pharmaceutical industry, their unused potential is even greater. Their expensive and complex production however, has limited their application possibilities thus far. The Düsseldorf start up Numaferm has developed a new tool to remedy the situation. CEO Philipp Bürling is convinced the new Numaferm technology that was developed by his business partner Christian Schwarz will significantly reduce the production costs of peptides.
New bio-fibers for medicine
Surgery is always risky and a burden on patients, even if they are successful. A research cooperation of several companies and the Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research (TITK), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics, now wants to eliminate a major inconvenience of these treatments: They are developing a suture made of bio-based synthetic fibers, which would besafer and more comfortable for the patients.
Breast implants with biotech spider silk
Spider silk is a natural fabric with outstanding properties. Spider silk threads are thin but extremely elastic and at the same time as strong as steel. The German biotechnology company AMSilk GmbH produces the material in a bioreactor by converting bacteria into tiny factories for the spider silk protein. The coveted protein can be produced in large quantities with the help of the Escherichia coli microbe. The white powder obtained in this way can be processed into various products, it can even be spun into high-tech fibres.
Sugar-based vaccine protects against pneumonia
Every year, 1.6 million people worldwide die from infections with the bacterium Streptococcus. Although there are vaccines against the pathogen, they are largely ineffective against one of the approximately 90 known variants, the so-called serotype 1, which is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and causes many cases of meningitis there.
Flavours activate saliva immune defence
Tasty food is “mouth-watering”. However, saliva I so much more than water: It contains mucosal and immune cells as well as a large number of molecules that perform a wide variety of biological functions such as ensuring healthy teeth, gums, and oral mucosa. Moreover, saliva is the first barrier against pathogens. Therefore, it also contains a number of antimicrobial molecules, including the antibacterial lysozyme. These are part of the innate molecular immune system.
GMO regulation debated at ECJ
Using so-called genome-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas, the genetic material DNA can be processed as precisely as never before. The molecular tool can be used to selectively exchange or change specific sections or even individual building blocks of the DNA - the nucleotides. There are possible applications for these tools both in medicine and in agriculture: it would be much easier and faster to breed heat-resistant, pest-resistant or higher-yielding crops. In the US, some genome-edited plants are already approved for cultivation.
Branding breast implants with tomato DNA
Brand and product piracy is a worldwide problem. The economic damage is immense: in 2016, German companies alone recorded losses of around 53 billion euros, as a study by management consultants Ernst & Young (EY) shows. The use of such fraud in medicine is particularly problematic. The scandal surrounding inferior breast implants in 2010 showed what health consequences this could have. The French manufacturer Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) had used cheap industrial silicone to reduce production costs.