Valorization of biological materials - 12/01/2023 ValBio-Urban brings bioeconomy research to users Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the capture and utilization of CO2 are important steps towards achieving a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. Accordingly, as part of the ValBio-Urban research project, an interdisciplinary team from the University of Stuttgart is developing bioeconomic approaches to solutions that will be implemented with companies from Baden-Württemberg.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/valbio-urban-brings-bioeconomy-research-users
Press release - 08/12/2022 Tübingen Environmental Researcher Lars Angenent Receives the Leibniz Prize Tübingen biotechnologist Lars Angenent is being awarded the Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in appreciation of his outstanding work in the field of environmental biotechnology, it was announced in Bonn on Thursday. The DFG said: “In view of climate change and the resulting need to develop a sustainable food, chemistry and energy economy, his work is highly relevant.”https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/tuebingen-environmental-researcher-lars-angenent-receives-leibniz-prize
With insects to the circular economy - 30/11/2022 InBiRa: Insect biorefinery turns food leftovers into new products Insect larvae can convert food leftovers and waste into secondary raw materials for technical products and cosmetics. Researchers are looking to establish an insect biorefinery for this purpose at the Fraunhofer IGB in Stuttgart. The InBiRa project is financed with a total of 3.8 million euros in EU and Baden-Württemberg state funding.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/inbira-insect-biorefinery-turns-food-leftovers-new-products
Reduction of greenhouse gases in wine production - 31/08/2021 The REDWine project and climate change In the EU project REDWine, the CO2 produced during wine fermentation is captured and used to produce algae biomass. Novis GmbH from Tübingen supplies the complete system for CO2 utilisation. The aim of the project is to reduce the share of global warming caused by wine production in a way that is economical for producers.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/redwine-project-and-climate-change
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.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/bacteria-help-recycle-phosphorus
Press release - 19/08/2020 Value creation by combining electrochemistry with biotechnology Time for climate protection is pressing. One approach to tackle this challenge is to use the greenhouse gas CO2 as a raw material for chemicals. The researchers of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, together with partners from science and industry, were able to produce a value-added terpenoid dye from CO2 adsorbed from air by a combination of electrochemical and biotechnological conversion.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/farbstoffe-aus-atmosphaerischem-co2
Article - 23/10/2018 SteamBio – biomass residuals from rural areas as flexible raw materials for producing chemicals and energy Biomass is the main resource of the bioeconomy. However, biomass has a low energy density and also needs to be used decentrally where it grows. A project group involving researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart and other institutions in Europe is addressing these challenges and demonstrating how biomass from rural areas can be made suitable for industrial processes.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/steambio-biomass-residuals-from-rural-areas-as-flexible-raw-materials-for-producing-chemicals-and-energy
Overview Processes and technologies in the bioeconomy The state of Baden-Württemberg is characterised by strong economic expertise in the field of plant and mechanical engineering as well as excellent research institutions in the fields of biology, biotechnology, bioprocess engineering and chemistry. These form an excellent basis for a sustainable economy by promoting technology development and innovation for tomorrow’s bioeconomy.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/bw/definition/processes-and-technologies-in-the-bioeconomy
Press release - 26/07/2018 Power-to-X technologies and renewables Storage solutions will be very much in demand as renewables account for a growing share of electricity in the grid. One option – converting fluctuating green electricity into chemical energy carriers or raw materials – looks particularly promising. Scientists at the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) want to put power-to-X processes into action with a two-pronged strategy.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/power-to-x-technologies-and-renewables
Article - 30/11/2017 Biomass from algae and the wholesale market – a promising replacement for fossil raw materials Funding renewable energies is one of the EU’s key objectives. Biomass such as algae and organic waste are particularly promising because they are not in competition with food production. Scientists at the Fraunhofer IGB in Stuttgart ferment biomass from wholesale market waste and algae. They use a cascade process to obtain valuable materials and the biogas methane. Their aim is to close material cycles and achieve high efficiency and flexibility…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biomasse-aus-algen-und-vom-grossmarkt-zukunftstraechtiger-ersatz-fuer-fossile-rohstoffe
Article - 27/11/2017 Microalgae – resource-saving raw materials for the food and feed sectors Coal, petrol and natural gas are our energy sources and the basis for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. However, the supply of fossil fuels is gradually running out. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has turned to microalgae in the search for alternative sources of energy. Initial pilot projects in which a variety of different methods based on state-of-the-art technologies were…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microalgae-resource-saving-raw-materials-for-the-food-and-feed-sectors
Article - 17/07/2017 Efficient production of fuel from biogenic residues Natural gas is a more climate friendly fuel than raw materials such as coal and petroleum. Nevertheless it is also a fossil fuel that generates anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In a collaborative project at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, scientists and engineers are concentrating on finding out how biogenic residues and waste materials such as wood, sewage sludge and biomass mixtures can be turned into alternative gaseous fuels.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/efficient-production-of-fuel-from-biogenic-residues
Article - 05/04/2017 Wood as raw material for platform chemicals Petroleum is required for producing fuels as well as many everyday items. However, as petroleum resources are dwindling, researchers are carrying out intensive research into possible alternatives. Wood might be one such alternative. It is a renewable resource that can potentially be used as a raw material for many products manufactured by the chemical industry.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/wood-as-raw-material-for-platform-chemicals
Article - 28/03/2017 Biogranules for industrial foils and a new class of products Biogranules are a starting point for the production of a wide range of novel biobased materials: in a BMBF-funded project called ”EnzymaCell”, a company called TECNARO and its cooperation partners have developed thermoplastic biofoils. The innovative combination of cellulose and natural additives has led to a material with many application possibilities. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biogranules-for-industrial-foils-and-a-new-class-of-products
Article - 06/03/2017 Research focuses on lignin as an alternative to fossil resources Along with cellulose, lignin is one of the most common organic compounds on earth. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT are working on optimising the yield of aromatic platform chemicals using innovative sustainable processes for the extraction and fractionation of lignin. The ultimate goal is to provide an alternative to petroleum in the pharmaceutical, plastics and food industries. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/research-focuses-on-lignin-as-an-alternative-to-fossil-resources
Article - 12/09/2016 Valuable new biopolymers from crustacean shells In the EU alone, more than 250,000 tons of seashell waste are discarded every year. The exoskeleton of crustaceans consists of proteins, calcium carbonate and chitin, a long-chain sugar molecule which could be used to produce valuable building blocks for the polymer industry. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart have developed a biotechnological process aimed at a sustainable…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/valuable-new-biopolymers-from-crustacean-shells
Article - 08/06/2015 Biosurfactants - effective fat solvents made by bacteria In early 2015, a company called Biotensidon GmbH from Karlsruhe established a white biotechnology subsidiary to develop a fermenter prototype for producing rhamnolipids, which are excellent bacterial surfactants. The project, which was carried out in cooperation with scientists from the Science & Technology Center in Ukraine, means that traditional petroleum-based surfactants can now be replaced by biosurfactants. The latter are extremely…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biosurfactants-effective-fat-solvents-made-by-bacteria
Article - 04/05/2015 Bioprocess engineering: Sybille Ebert to teach key biotechnological skills Every single biotechnological production process is tested in shake flasks before it is gradually scaled up to eventually produce tons of platform chemicals or biofuels in cubic-metre sized fermenters. Prof. Dr. Sybille Ebert teaches the theory and practice of bioprocess engineering in the form of lectures and practical laboratory exercises to students at the Biberach University of Applied Sciences. The trained chemist and mathematician was…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/bioprocess-engineering-sybille-ebert-to-teach-key-biotechnological-skills
Article - 30/06/2014 Scale is key: biodata for optimising bioproduction Biotech research is aimed at improving industrial-scale microbial production, making it more profitable and more competitive. However, laboratory-scale data cannot easily be transferred one to one to large-scale production. New systems biology concepts for the simulation of large-scale production are now set to make this possible.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/scale-is-key-biodata-for-optimising-bioproduction
Article - 14/01/2013 Novel bioreactor and sponges that thin out light Microalgae are veritable treasure troves. The cosmetics food and chemical industries already use algal metabolic products for various applications. In future the green unicellular organisms might also be grown on a large scale in photobioreactors installed on fallow land where they will be used as regenerative sources of energy. Mark Fresewinkel from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT is involved in a cooperative project aimed at…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/novel-bioreactor-and-sponges-that-thin-out-light
Article - 12/11/2012 Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences appoints new professor of bioprocess engineering Volker C. Hass joined the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences at the beginning of the 2012/2013 winter semester. His presence strengthens the university’s team on the bio- and process engineering bachelor’s degree programme. Every year, two thirds of the 100 or so first-semester students choose biotechnology as part of their main studies and around one third choose process engineering. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/furtwangen-university-of-applied-sciences-appoints-new-professor-of-bioprocess-engineering
Article - 15/10/2012 Rudolf Hausmann – green surfactants from bacteria In April 2012 Rudolf Hausmann jr. was appointed professor of the newly established chair of bioprocess engineering at the University of Hohenheim. His passion biosurfactants used in cleaning agents detergents and foods which will in the future enable normally non-mixable liquids such as oil and water to be mixed together.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/rudolf-hausmann-green-surfactants-from-bacteria
Article - 06/02/2012 Ten outstanding ideas in biotechnology and medical technology The results of the feasibility studies funded under the Idea Competition in Biotechnology and Medical Technology were presented in the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart between 16th and 18th January 2012. Ten of the 42 project ideas were recommended for further funding.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/ten-outstanding-ideas-in-biotechnology-and-medical-technology
Article - 04/04/2011 Clemens Posten: How can algae produce cheap energy? Microalgae are a real treasure trove. The cosmetics food and chemical industries already use many algal metabolic products and it is envisaged that algae will become an important regenerative source of energy in the future. Prof. Dr. Clemens Postens Bioprocess Engineering team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT focuses on bioprocess development and is investigating the effect of different diets and the dilution of light on algal product…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/clemens-posten-how-can-algae-produce-cheap-energy
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.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/technische-universitaet-braunschweig-made-to-measure-synthetic-microorganisms