Bioeconomy

Article - 04/04/2011

The exploitation of microalgae for energy is possible!

Timo Enderle (cofactor – a consulting company focusing on algal biotechnology) believes that the efficient cultivation of microalgae can be further optimised and that the use of microalgae for energy will become possible in the not-too-distant future. Enderle spoke with Martin Follmann (BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg) about the prospects for algal biotechnology.

Press release - 28/03/2011

Breakthrough: Cells can now be grown on 3D scaffolds

Researchers from the DGF-Centre for Functional Nanostructures at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have succeeded in growing cells on three-dimensional structures. What is so fascinating about this method is that the cells are able to attach to special micrometre-sized handles on the scaffolds and nowhere else. The method used gives the researchers led by Professor Martin Bastmeyer full control over the formation of cell adhesion sites and…

Press release - 21/03/2011

Crop production - plate or tank?

As part of the “University of Hohenheim – strength through communication” thematic year 2011, Dr. Detlef Virchow, Executive Manager of the Food Security Center at the University of Hohenheim, talked to us about the medium-term risks of E10 biofuel in relation to global food safety.

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…

Article - 14/03/2011

Subitec GmbH – binding carbon dioxide, generating energy

Algae have become the beacons of hope in terms of energy generation and carbon dioxide fixation. Stuttgart–based Subitec GmbH has developed a unique reactor system to improve the cultivation of algae. The establishment of further pilot plants gives the company access to the constantly growing energy market.

Article - 07/03/2011

Biofilms – complex microbial communities and their molecular tricks

Microorganisms can be found in drinking water processing systems catheter cannulae and implants habitats where they can cause serious problems for human health. It is not an easy task to get rid of the bacteria as they form bacterial communities that constitute an excellent protection against UV radiation disinfectants and antibiotics. A group of researchers led by Dr. Thomas Schwartz at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is investigating the…

Article - 04/03/2011

Useful algal genome sequencing

Whole-genome sequence analyses have become indispensable for algal research. Sequence analyses provide information on the evolution of different groups of algae and contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms algae use to adapt to climate change as well as unlocking the potential to develop new and economically important products and technologies.

Article - 28/02/2011

Coperion GmbH – Individual compounding systems

Coperion GmbH, a worldwide market and technology leader in compounding and extrusion, is keeping up with the times by providing comprehensive systems for the processing of biodegradable plastics to its many customers worldwide. Compounding of starting materials relies on comprehensive knowledge of processing technologies and raw materials.

Press release - 28/02/2011

"Sebacinales Everywhere" – fungi that live in special symbioses

Researchers have a created a specific type of endophytic symbiosis between fungi and plant roots that does not lead to visible mycorrhiza. In addition, a team of biologists from Tübingen along with international partners has discovered that Sebacinales (fungi) are ubiquitous endophytes of plant roots.

Article - 22/02/2011

Underground career – bacteria as the builders of sediments

Benthic bacteria and microalgae that live at the bottom of rivers and lakes secrete substances that contribute to the stabilisation of sediments and hence to the stabilisation of aquatic ecosystems. Researchers from the University of Stuttgart are investigating the biostabilising effects of a number of bacteria and microalgae. One major research focus involves the investigation of the effects of foreign substances on microbial activity.

Article - 18/02/2011

How microorganisms gather together a metabolic pathway

Many microorganisms are found in remote places in conditions of extreme heat, extreme cold or in areas with high salt concentrations. The majority of microorganisms feed on low-molecular carbon compounds, which gives rise to the question as to how they manage to turn these compounds into cell building blocks. In a recent publication in the renowned journal Science, Dr. Ivan Berg and his group of researchers at the University of Freiburg report on…

Press release - 03/02/2011

BASF starts operations at expanded Ecoflex plant

The production capacity for biodegradable plastics of BASF SE increases by 60,000 metric tons per year. BASF expects significant market growth for biodegradable plastics through 2020.

Article - 31/01/2011

Technische Universität Braunschweig – made-to-measure synthetic microorganisms

The Institute of Biochemical Engineering at Technische Universität Braunschweig (Technical University (TU) Braunschweig) is a member of the Biopolymers/Biomaterials cluster and, as such, is involved in two projects to produce diaminopentane and succinic acid using optimised microorganisms with the aim of establishing a basis from which to provide industry with new materials made from renewable resources.

Article - 17/01/2011

nadicom GmbH: novel strategies to prove microcrobes guilty

Microscopic life is omnipresent and it also appears in places where it is not wanted. The Karlsruhe-based nadicom Gesellschaft für angewandte Mikrobiologie mbH offers a broad range of services to companies and environmental authorities to help them deal with and control the omnipresence of microorganisms.

Press release - 14/01/2011

Insilico moves to new premises

Insilico Biotechnology is well on the way up. The company moved to the STEP Engineering Park in Stuttgart at the turn of the year to have more space and expand their facilities to meet customers’ increasing requirements.

Press release - 10/01/2011

Establishment of an environmental technology network in Baden-Württemberg

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs is supporting the establishment of a state-wide environmental technology network through the “Plattform Umwelttechnik e.V.” by providing financial support with ERDF funds. BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg is part of the network and is specifically tasked with the exploration of the development potential of biotechnology for the Baden-Württemberg environmental sector.

Article - 10/01/2011

Batteries powered by waste

What can we do with all the waste produced by private households? One possible solution is to feed it into a fridge-sized tank in the cellar or garage that can convert waste into electricity. Dr. Sven Kerzenmacher and Dr. Johannes Gescher from the University of Freiburg are hoping that one day such a vision will be made possible through the use of bacteria. The two researchers work with so-called exoelectrogenic microorganisms which they put into…

Press release - 08/01/2011

Optimal Use of Resources from Nature

Tomatoes that resist pests and extreme weather while still tasting like tomatoes are among Professor Holger Puchtas long-term research goals. The molecular biologist develops techniques that will allow him to control inheritance in plants to selectively improve the properties of different species through nature’s existing gene pool. For his fundamental research, Puchta now is awarded an Advanced Researcher Grant by the European Research Council…

Article - 07/01/2011

Residual waste – an eternal fire that generates electrical power

Chemical energy is stored in the material used for packaging carpets and so on. Some of this energy can be recycled from discarded products. Every year the Thermische Restabfallbehandlungs- und Energieerzeugungsanlage TREA Breisgau Thermal Residual Waste Treatment and Energy Generation Facility located in the Breisgau industrial estate close to Freiburg converts around 170000 t of residual waste into electricity. Dr. Holger Heinig COO of TREA…

Dossier - 07/01/2011

Energy generation from waste

We are all very aware of what happens when we dispose of waste whether it is industry waste private household waste or CO2. We also know that cost-effectiveness is still given priority over sustainability. As more and more waste is dumped it is increasingly entering the groundwater soil and atmosphere. The ideal solution would enable us to kill two birds with one stone if we could somehow combine the problems related to increasing environmental…

Article - 20/12/2010

Determination of the risk potential of particulate matter from wood combustion

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in particulate matter in our environment are currently being studied by a network of institutes and research institutions, both in Germany and around the world. The impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic components of particulate matter on human and animal health is not yet known in detail. However, their impact on the development of lung diseases such as asthma and other chronic…

Article - 20/12/2010

ForCare – assessing the risks and benefits of environmental chemicals

Over the last few years the EU has published a number of new guidelines stipulating thresholds for toxicologically relevant substances in food and other products. Some of these thresholds were implemented following a Greenpeace campaign relating to pesticides in food. The Freiburg-based Fachbüro für Toxikologie und nachhaltige Entwicklung Office for Toxicology and Sustainable Development ForCare played a part in the scientific studies behind this…

Article - 20/12/2010

Gicon: Using controllable biogas production to create virtual power stations

Conventional biogas plants have the disadvantage that the production of energy cannot be controlled in a flexible way. Therefore, Großmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH (GICON) has developed a fast, simple method for controlling biogas production from renewable resources. In addition, the two-stage dry-wet fermentation process with split hydrolysis makes it possible to control the two stages independently. Heribert Krämer, head of the GICON subsidiary…

Article - 20/12/2010

Invisible danger with long-term consequences

According to official figures mycotoxins which are toxic secondary metabolites produced by moulds are found in around of 20 per cent of the European crop harvest. Even the smallest concentrations of mycotoxins can have devastating toxic effects causing cancer or posing a risk to fertility and development. Alexandra Heussner from the University of Konstanz is investigating ochratoxins whose chronic effect represents a huge danger to human health.

Article - 20/12/2010

Toxaphene – a pesticide with long-term consequences

Toxaphene is a mixture of more than 1000 halogenated compounds. The pesticide has been banned in Western countries since the early 1970s, while the Eastern Bloc continued to use it up until the 1990s. Huge amounts of toxaphene that have been used as insecticide or simply deposited at dilapidated storage sites continue to pollute the environment. Researchers from the University of Hohenheim are analysing the complex substance and looking for…