Bioeconomy

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 - 18/02/2013

Biotechnology in Biberach: a success story that breaks new ground

At its New Year reception Biberach University of Applied Sciences outlined the universitys success the establishment of its biotechnology programme is going smoothly and student interest remains steady. Biberach also has a successful track record of acquiring third-party funding and has established new national and international cooperations.

Article - 21/01/2009

Exalon GmbH – preparation of regulatory submission packages

Exalon GmbH, based in Radolfzell, Germany has two key principles that account for its success: always keep in contact with the public authorities and always know the right doors to knock on. The company, run as a team of three, Dr. Michael Braun, Sibylle Teuchmann and Michael Zingrebe, has been supporting life sciences companies and service providers in the electronic submission of applications for obtaining marketing authorisation for medicinal…

Article - 23/07/2012

Extremophilic bacteria: our distant ancestors

Thermophilic and hyperthermophilic archaea and bacteria give us an idea of the conditions under which organisms evolved as long as 3.5 billion years ago. It is still unclear whether the first cells originated on the surface of hot volcanic springs or on hydrothermal vents in oceans.

Article - 03/05/2010

Energy produced from poplars and other plants – how efficiently can this be done?

Renewable energies do not come out of nowhere. The sustainable cultivation of firewood requires land for plantation. The main criticism of the use of land for the production of renewable energies is that the production of renewable resources is in strong opposition to the production of human food. The forestry scientist Janine Fischbach and her colleagues at the University of Freiburg are investigating ways to avoid a plate petrol tank dilemma.

Article - 04/02/2009

“Fermentative production of succinic acid” project on the way

Succinic acid could well become an important raw material for the plastics industry if it is possible to produce the acid biotechnologically and cost-effectively. A research project focusing on the biotechnological production of succinic acid under the leadership of BASF SE has now been granted funding by the German Ministry of Education and Research.

Article - 21/03/2011

C.S.P. – linking cultivation and application

A growing number of industrial companies would like to use renewable raw materials for production, out of ecological, economic or technical interest. However, it is not always easy for many of the companies to get into contact with farmers and secure the supply of crops in the quantity and quality they require. Dresden-based C.S.P. Consulting und Service für Pflanzliche Rohstoffe GmbH is now able to use its know-how and that of its partners to…

In the competition for the rather sought-after award Science City the city of Constance had to surrender albeit marginally to the city of Oldenburg. This is however no reason for Constance to abandon the planned Science Year 2009.

Article - 09/07/2012

Crayfish chitin is an important raw material

In his Konstanz-based Vegafood project office Dr. Peter May is focused on sustainable breeding of crayfish with the aim of advancing industrial scale chitin research. European crayfish shed their skin several times a year providing research institutions and chitin product manufacturers with access to crustacean carapaces.

Article - 18/04/2011

Diatoms – small cells with huge potential

A group of researchers at the University of Konstanz led by Prof. Dr. Peter Kroth is working on an organism that is an extraordinarily successful survivor. Its chemical, biological and biochemical properties can be put to many different uses and it has the potential to be used in the healthcare market and industry to an even greater and more effective extent in the future. We are referring to diatoms.

Article - 26/01/2015

JatroSolutions: Jatropha oil for biofuel and more

Jatropha is an extremely hardy and frugal plant species native to tropical and subtropical areas where it grows on wasteland. Jatropha seeds contain large quantities of oil that can be processed into a variety of products such as biofuels, animal feed, cosmetics and organic fertiliser. However, few Jatropha species have been properly domesticated, and the yields of the plants that grow in the wild are too small to be economically viable. Jatropha…

Article - 22/08/2011

IHB – Textile research that leads to new applications

Innovative medical textiles can offer clear advantages when it comes to improvements in delivering modern health care systems. The Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB) at the Hohenstein Institute is currently involved in the development of new fibre-based materials for successful applications in the private and public health sectors. Both natural biopolymers and stem cells have the potential of becoming part of such medical products of…

Article - 20/09/2010

mayer-THERMOPLASTE GmbH – technically sophisticated production

mayer-THERMOPLASTE GmbH is a specialist in high-quality plastics injection moulding. The company’s flexible organisation of production enables it to react quickly to customer requirements. Based on the idea of using biomaterials for injection moulding, the company’s managing directors, Dirk Elger and Günter Lachnit, are currently planning to become involved in production using sustainable plastics.

Article - 09/11/2009

Keeping an eye on reed decline

The reed zones around Europes lakes are becoming increasingly smaller. The biologist Dr. Jan Nechwatal at the University of Constance is investigating the causes of reed decline and has identified a previously unknown plant pest.

Article - 18/03/2013

Insights into life in the eternal ice

Life can also be found in Arctic and Antarctic ice. Anique Stecher a biologist at Konstanz University is investigating the biodiversity in these areas using samples collected on board a research vessel and then analysing the data using special phylogenetic software. This provides her with a comprehensive inventory of Arctic and Antarctic organisms and with insights into their relationships with each other. The researchers findings make an…

Article - 01/04/2013

Insights into the secrets of DyP peroxidases

AauDyP a DyP peroxidase enzyme found in tree ear mushrooms and other members of the haem peroxidase family are the major field of research of Prof. Dr. Dietmar Plattners research group at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Freiburg. Plattners co-workers Dr. Klaus Piontek and Eric Strittmatter along with colleagues from the International Institute Zittau have clarified the atomic structure of AauDyp using crystallographic…

Article - 16/07/2012

Laupheim to become an international forum for biomanufacturing

The 2nd Laupheimer Zelltage conference organized by Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH in Laupheim on 11th and 12th June 2012 focused on “Bioprocess light”. Twelve experts from applied research institutions and biotech companies from Germany and abroad provided the 200 or so guests with information on how modern bioproduction methods can be made simpler, more robust, cheaper, more reliable and hence more competitive.

Article - 19/03/2012

Goal: online glucose sensor for bioreactors

Microorganisms and sensitive cells that are grown in bioreactors need a well-regulated environment and a food supply in order to do what they are supposed to do: grow and produce biomass and metabolites. Many fermenters are equipped with sensors that continuously measure critical bioprocess parameters, including temperature, pH value and oxygen. Online glucose and ethanol sensors are not yet used in regulated bioreactors, even though they would…

Article - 01/07/2009

KIT - Competence in bioprocess engineering

The purification of microbially produced substances such as proteins and polysaccharides and their separation from or release from within the cell are complex tasks in the field of biotechnology. The Bioprocess Engineering department of the Institute of Process Engineering in the Life Sciences TH deals with the development of integrated bioprocesses and is also involved in the separation of biopolymers.

A palm tree by the name of Acrocomia is currently keeping a large number of scientists and investors busy. If the tree is able to live up to these peoples expectations then Latin America will benefit from a sustainable oil source.

Article - 06/08/2012

Pressure aeration speeds up decomposition

The leakage of organic pollutants and heavy metals along with the emission of methane gas can continue to have a harmful effect on humans and the environment as long as 100 years after a landfill site has been closed down. This is why landfill leachates and gases need to be collected and treated for many years to come. The Institute for Sanitary Engineering Water Quality and Solid Waste Management ISWA at the University of Stuttgart is carrying…

Article - 05/01/2015

Protein foils for sausages and seeds

Sausage casings made of collagen can be used as an alternative to natural intestine casings as they give a similar sensation when biting into knockwursts or boiled sausages. Scientists involved in the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded project "Biotechnological process development for novel membranes based on collagen", are seeking to optimise the process of collagen processing using environmentally friendly…

Article - 11/11/2013

Pesticides and their effect on the environment

Ecotoxicologists from Tübingen are calling for new interdisciplinary approaches in order to improve investigations into the effect of pesticides on the living environment. They expect that a more effective and more frequent combination of field work and laboratory analyses will provide them with a clearer picture of the overall situation. This knowledge will enable all stakeholders involved in solving environmental issues to draw the right…

Article - 10/04/2010

“We need to tap alternative energy sources”

Prof. Dr. Christoph Wittmann from the TU Braunschweig is a partner in the BiopolymersBiomaterials cluster. He is developing mathematical models of metabolic processes to optimise microorganisms for use in biotechnology. In an interview with Christoph Bächtle Wittmann talks about systems biology drawing-board organisms biobased plastics and biotechnologys capacity to complement existing large-scale methods.

Article - 10/03/2008

Sharks and the evolution of the locomotory apparatus

Zoologists at the University of Tübingen are investigating the biomechanics of swimming and the evolution of the muscles and tendons needed for swimming. Detailed information on how fish adapt to specific lifestyles help in the development of robot fish.