Article - 13/10/2014 Crude mushroom solution to degrade micropollutants and increase the performance of biofuel cells Sabine Sané, a doctoral student in the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg, has developed a concept that shows how micropollutants can be degraded in wastewater and how the latter can serve as a valuable source of raw materials. She is one of four researchers who have been awarded the 2014 Huber Technology Prize “Future Water” with a purse of 10,000 euros. Her concept is based on an enzyme that is secreted…
Article - 22/09/2014 Heike Frühwirth brings engineering methods into the hype about algae Heike Frühwirth is not terribly taken by the euphoria surrounding the potential of algae. She knows better as she has become aware of the potential pitfalls from her own personal experience. Frühwirth was born in the Austrian city of Graz where she also studied process engineering. She has been in charge of process engineering under the industrial biotechnology study programme at Biberach University of Applied Sciences since 2012. She specializes…
Article - 14/04/2014 WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH: Smart process water treatment reduces operating costs Reducing energy consumption by 8,000 kWh and being able to generate 15,000 kWh of electrical power per day can save 500,000 euros operating costs in a year, as a project carried out by WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH on behalf of a pharmaceutical company found. WEHRLE Umwelt has been working with environmental technologies for over 30 years, principally focussing on plants for industrial wastewater treatment. The company offers intelligent solutions that are…
Article - 04/11/2013 Bioeconomy as a residue utilisation strategy A bioeconomy is the introduction of a biobased economy and the promise of sustainably manufactured goods. The head of the Institute of Forest Utilisation at the University of Freiburg Prof. Dr. Gero Becker examines the efficiency and sustainability of the provision of timber and forestry products and focusses on the issue as to how wood residues can be industrially recycled.
Article - 28/10/2013 University of Hohenheim – a strong commitment to the bioeconomy The bioeconomy is not only a major social challenge. It is also a complex thematic area that covers many scientific fields. The University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart has just published a strategy paper with the bioeconomy as a core topic of its research activities. Heike Laue talked with the universitys rector Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert about the paper.
Article - 16/09/2013 Biomass conversion – KIT method takes a pragmatic path “We can do in ten minutes what nature took millions of years to complete,” said Henning Bockhorn from the Engler-Bunte Institute at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) referring to a method which his team developed for the energy supplier Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW). The patented method enables biomass to be converted into a material similar to brown coal. The method is known as “biomass steam processing” (BSP) and is currently being…
Article - 21/05/2013 Green coal from plants – CO2 neutral and infinite It is just a matter of time before coal and oil will run out. However, there are, it would seem, ways to counteract this situation. Plants can be turned into fossil energy carriers, with the added advantage that the combustion of plants on average only releases as much CO2 as the plants have previously absorbed from the atmosphere. Professor Andrea Kruse from the University of Hohenheim is developing methods for using whole green plants for the…
Article - 04/02/2013 capmatch medical – financing network for life sciences start-ups and investors “capmatch medical” was specifically designed for young medical device and biotech companies that are seeking capital from investors in Europe. Combined with professional coaching and process management, capmatch medical’s matching approach improves the chances of successful matchmaking between companies and dedicated investors.