Climate-friendly circular economy - 11/11/2021 CO2 from the air as a raw material for chemicals A Fraunhofer team has successfully produced a dye using CO2 adsorbed from the air. The aim is to move towards a climate- and resource-friendly circular economy. Chemicals, as well as fuels, can be produced cost-effectively using this process. How does the technical process work, and what opportunities does it open up?
Natural substance with herbicide potential - 10/12/2020 The same but different: What makes sugar 7Sdh a better herbicide? The sugar 7-deoxy-sedoheptulose (7dSh) is produced by cyanobacteria and inhibits the same metabolic pathway as the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, thus making it an excellent herbicide candidate. Despite this amazing similarity, the microbiologist who discovered 7dSh, Prof. Dr. Karl Forchhammer, believes that this sugar has clear ecological advantages over glyphosate.
Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge - 21/10/2020 Bacteria help to recycle phosphorus Biotechnology for the bioeconomy: in something known as the P-bac process, sulphur bacteria extract phosphorus from sewage sludge ash. Phosphorus is one of the key building blocks of life and an essential nutrient for plant growth. When there is not enough phosphorus in the soil, farmers apply it via organic or mineral fertilisers.
CRISPR/Cas9 and genetic engineering laws - 27/11/2019 Transgene-free plant breeding using genome editing Plant geneticists from Tübingen have used genome deletion to breed a variety of tomato that is resistant to powdery mildew. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology that they used enabled them to achieve this in a relatively short period of time. They also demonstrated beyond any doubt that the new tomato variety contains no foreign DNA and is indistinguishable from naturally occurring deletion mutants.
Plastic waste - 23/08/2018 Microplastic in waters – mini waste as maxi problem New studies reveal that rivers are major contributors to marine ecosystem pollution. A study commissioned by environmental authorities in BW and four other German states analysed samples from 25 rivers to gain an idea of the occurrence of microplastics in German inland waters. In addition, Dr. Natalie Orlowski from the University of Freiburg is analysing microplastics pollution in the Dreisam River.
Article - 30/01/2017 Rhapynal for a better environment - innovative, biobased and sustainable Biotensidon GmbH is on the up. Rhapynal is about to be placed on the market. The company is involved in a 100-million-euro joint venture and was nominated for the German Next Economy Award in 2016. Rhapynal has three components and offers virtually unlimited possibilities for application in the agricultural, pharmaceutical and many other sectors.
Bionics - 24/11/2016 Plants as models for self-repairing materials It’s a great idea: everyday products that can repair themselves. Although it’s still a pipedream, the foundations are already being laid in a series of investigations being carried out by Dr. Olga Speck from the University of Freiburg. Dr. Speck is a botanist who is studying wound-healing reactions in plants to try and find mechanisms that can be used as models for developing materials with “self-healing powers”.
Article - 11/10/2016 Nanofur for cleaning up accidental oil spills in water Accidental oil spills such as those following oil disasters need to be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Researchers from the KIT in Karlsruhe have now developed an environmentally friendly process that can eliminate oil spills effectively. Nanofur is a material that imitates the fine hairs of aquatic ferns and is capable of absorbing large amounts of oil within a relatively short time.