Bioeconomy

Article - 02/09/2013

Animal migration tracking via satellite

Migrating animals such as migratory birds are an integral part of ecosystems. However around 10 billion migratory birds die every year and their habitats are increasingly being threatened by humans. Prof. Dr. Martin Wikelski director of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell and the Department of Ornithology at the University of Konstanz tracks animal migrations using a sophisticated transmission technology. The findings from his…

Article - 24/06/2013

Researchers turn Swabian Alb into open-air laboratory

The Schwäbische Alb or Swabian Alb in southern Germany is one of three locations in Germany where, since 2008, huge numbers of scientists have been exploring the relationship between species diversity, land use and their role for ecosystems processes. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding these huge open-air laboratories, also known as biodiversity exploratories, from 2006 to 2017.

Article - 10/06/2013

An ingenious trick of nature: bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are the oldest known form of life and have been around for 3 billion years. It stands to reason therefore that they should be relatively simple and primitive organisms. But this is not quite the case: two scientists from the Institute of Biology III at Freiburg University, Stefan Kopfmann and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hess, have discovered that cyanobacteria have developed a clever natural selection…

Article - 03/12/2012

Early pollutant warning system for sewage plants

Technologies that can help identify pollutants in the wastewater treated in sewage plants are urgently needed. LimCo International GmbH might have a solution. The Konstanz-based company has developed a fully-automated early warning system for monitoring the quality of water and sediment in sewage plants and waterworks.

Press release - 16/07/2012

CO2-development: a vision of a carbon dioxid economy

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are largely responsible for the greenhouse effect and thus for climate change. A reduction in CO2 emissions is therefore at the very top of the international political agenda. Trials are running in parallel to explore underground sequestration of CO2 from power stations, thereby removing it from the atmosphere. It would at first sight seem paradoxical to wish to use energy-poor, inert CO2 molecules. Considerable…

Article - 25/06/2012

The Tara Oceans Expedition

The Tara Oceans Expedition has now come to an end after a 115,000 km round-the-world voyage lasting two and a half years. Under the scientific leadership of Dr. Eric Karsenti from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, the expedition has collected a unique quantity and diversity of samples and data about marine plankton. The purpose of this international project is to carry out morphogenomic analyses and obtain detailed insights…

Article - 29/05/2012

David Schleheck: exploring the effective degradation of surfactants

David Schleheck biologist at the University of Konstanz focuses on the bacterial degradation of surfactants and LAS in particular. The results of his research are of huge importance for the recycling of grey water in areas including home sewage treatment systems for example.

Article - 16/05/2012

Ecologists can drive forward biogas research too

The biologist Prof. Dr. Marian Kazda from Ulm has worked on biogas research for many years. However, he occupies a particular niche in that he approaches the topic from the point of view of a problem-oriented ecologist. The 55-year-old is head of the Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology at the University of Ulm and his specific field of research is plant ecology. It was his work on wetlands that first got him interested in biogas research.

Article - 14/05/2012

Can green cuttings be turned into biogas?

Grass flowers and small bushes are constant features along roadsides they are mowed at regular intervals and either dumped left where they are or less frequently composted. Cuttings like these could contribute to solving the global energy problem and even generate money. However communities that are aiming to turn green waste from roadsides riversides or sports grounds into biogas and hence a renewable source of energy are confronted with…

Article - 14/05/2012

Biogas and sustainability

The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has led to a considerable increase in the use of biogas in Germany. However, increasing biogas production must make ecological sense and not generate conflict with the sustainability objectives of environmental conservation schemes. There must therefore be a careful consideration of the overall conditions. An analysis of the ecological impact of the generation and use of biogas in Germany taking into…

Article - 16/04/2012

Symbiogenesis of mitochondria and plastids

The endosymbiotic theory, which holds that eukaryotic mitochondria and plastids arose from the engulfment and integration of a bacterium by another cell, has long been a matter of controversial debate, but growing evidence over time has led to the substantiation and universal acceptance of the theory. Recent genetic and biochemical analyses have provided detailed insights into the fundamental events that happened more than a billion years ago.

Dossier - 16/04/2012

Symbioses - effective communities of unequal partners

The interaction that can occur between two different types of species comes in different forms, ranging from relationships that can be beneficial for both or just one of the partners, or that can cause damage and in extreme cases lead to the death of one of the partners. Some symbiotic relationships between plants and microbes, for example, have economic uses while others can be used for analyses or as models for industrial applications.

Article - 12/03/2012

Marker pens to prevent bird deaths from collisions with windows

It is estimated that millions of birds die each year as the result of collisions with windows and other reflecting and transparent glass panes. Dr. Roland Kolbe, a researcher from the Baden-Württemberg city of Eningen unter Achalm has addressed this problem with the development of two products to prevent such collisions. The products are based on the differences in the physiology of vision between birds and human beings. Both products alert birds…

Press release - 07/03/2012

Bio-based plastics convince with high climate protection potential and low use of fossil resources

A meta-analysis of 30 life cycle assessments by the nova-Institute for innovation and ecology on behalf of the Proganic company shows unambiguously positive results for the widespread bio-based plastics PLA and PHA/PHB.

Dossier - 28/11/2011

Which biomass is the best source of alternative energy?

We talk about bioenergy, but what do we actually mean? The term bioenergy refers to renewable energy produced from material of biological origin. But is the term really exact? Does it create false expectations? “Bio” is often associated with something that is ecological, environmentally friendly and clean. Perhaps “energy from biomass” would be more appropriate? It’s a bulkier term than bioenergy, but also much more neutral.

Press release - 04/10/2011

European joint conference on chemical engineering and biotechnology in Berlin end on an upbeat note

The 8th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and 1st European Congress of Applied Biotechnology closed on Thursday in Berlin on an upbeat note. For four days, about 3,000 scientists from industry and academia discussed topics from research and practical application. Especially the lectures on downstream processing of biotechnological products were strongly frequented; sessions on energy storage, future thinking in innovation and process…

Article - 22/08/2011

Can the stress tolerance of moss be transferred to maize and other plants?

The moss Physcomitrella patens has long since been one of several popular model organisms used in research. The Physcomitrella patens genome was sequenced in 2007. Comparative analyses with other plant species show why the relatives of the moss were able to colonise land approximately 500 million years ago the moss relatives developed a large number of mechanisms to protect them against drought and other stress factors which made them real…

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 - 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 - 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.

Press release - 22/11/2010

Tübingen scientists turn snails into “slugs”

Biologists from Tübingen have reshaped the body plan of snails. Temporary exposure to platinum ions resulted in the formation of an internal shell in place of the normal external shell. The snails, which were artificially turned into slugs, survived normally. In the journal “Evolution & Development”, the researchers reported that the reshaping is most likely the result of altered gene activity. This shows that the shape of organisms may have…

Article - 03/10/2010

LimCo International - innovative methods to assess water pollution

LimCo International has developed the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor a unique continuous early warning system that enables the fully automated detection of water contamination. The companys GamTox toxicity test can be used to assess the ecological situation of flowing waters.

Article - 27/09/2010

Fraunhofer ICT – from biomass to technical materials

The Pfinztal-based Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology investigates and develops innovative technical materials on the basis of biobased thermoplasts and furanic resin. Innovative companies in the consumer goods, packaging and transport industries are extremely interested in such products.

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.

Dossier - 03/05/2010

Biorefinery concepts are close to implementation

Coal crude oil whats next? The preparations for switching from crude oil to other resources for the production of fuels and petrochemical products are underway. Crude oil and also gas reserves are in irrevocable decline. Pessimists believe that peak oil production has already been reached and optimists believe that this peak will be reached in 2020. Crude oil is not only our most important source of energy production but it is also an important…