Bioeconomy

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…

Press release - 30/04/2010

MYKOTOWN to focus in future on renewable energies and sustainably produced fuels

In the future the Swiss company MYKOTOWN GREENTECH AG will focus on sustainably produced fuels and regenerative energies. The company is thus continuing its journey towards the production of biological and ecological plants using mycorrhizal fungi as well as tapping new fields of business.

Dossier - 11/01/2010

Green genetic engineering – a controversial future technology

Green genetic engineering comprises a plethora of methods that enable the production of genetically modified (i.e. transgenic) plants by introducing extra genes, which are often foreign to the species into which they are introduced, into a plant genome. The number to be introduced can vary from one single gene to several genes. For example, in order to establish a new and foreign metabolic pathway in a particular plant, several genes need to be…

Article - 14/12/2009

Marvel GmbH – ecological materials with a sophisticated design

Marvel GmbH, based in Bad Teinach, has set itself the goal of combining innovative materials with sophisticated design and where safety, fire protection and acoustic properties go hand in hand with attractiveness, high-quality design and sustainability. The company uses its own innovative biomaterial called “Marvel Bioresin”.

Dossier - 27/10/2009

Fungi – an introduction

After animals and plants fungi are the third largest kingdom of eukaryotic organisms. Most people see them as plants because they typically grow in soil and do not move around like animals in the search for food supermarkets sell edible mushrooms such as white mushrooms and shiitake. But no fungi are capable of carrying out photosynthesis themselves the fungal energy metabolism is driven by organic molecules of dead and sometimes also living…

Article - 27/10/2009

Green genetic engineering now conquers the ornamental plant market as well

A blue carnation developed in Australia was the first genetically modified ornamental plant sold around the world. The Stuttgart-based company Ornamental Bioscience GmbH now plans to use the same approach with far more practical goals in mind: water-saving summer flowers and tropical plants that are resistant to the cold, both of which have many concrete advantages and not just for consumers.

Article - 22/10/2009

On the track of fascinating diatoms

Diatoms make a considerable contribution to the production of oxygen and biomass in the worlds oceans and aquatic ecosystems. However up until now little is known about the molecular biology and chemistry of these eukaryotic algae. Prof. Peter Kroth and his team at the University of Constance are hoping to shed more light on these algae. The team has recently been involved in the deciphering of the Phaeodactylum tricornutum genome research that…

Press release - 09/09/2009

“Road trip” to the Lake Constance

American scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute JCVI have recently visited the Institute of Limnology at the University of Constance at Lake Constance. The visit was part of the Sorcerer II Expedition which is a unique global mission to sample and discover the diversity of microorganisms and their role in global substance flows.

Article - 17/08/2009

The source of biomass – young people experience this agricultural energy source

A biomass action day was recently organised at the Unterer Lindenhof experimental station in order to show schoolchildren a number of features of different agricultural products that fuel that is made from rape seed is capable of taking them from Egypt to South Africa that the use of wood for heating houses is very ecological and that various plant oils can taste very differently. This action day was made possible thanks to the Hohenheim…

Article - 18/05/2009

Less chemistry and fresher fruits and vegetables

At Lake Constance fruit growers have bigger problems to face than ideological discussions on biotechnology and genetic engineering. They need methodological solutions for devastating plant diseases that would help them reduce the use of chemicals.

Article - 09/02/2009

Bodo Philipp – the discovery of the general principles of bacterial interaction

Dr. Bodo Philipp from the University of Constance specifically focuses on ecologically relevant activities of bacteria for example cell-cell interactions. His findings could prove effective in removing bacteria from areas where high levels of hygiene are required thereby making it possible to prevent life-threatening bacterial infectious diseases. Dr. Bodo Philipp uses the much feared Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria as model organisms for his…

Fibre optic cables as light conductors are obviously not a recent invention. Marine sponges the phylogenetically oldest multicellular organisms are able to transmit light inside their bodies by using amorphous siliceous structures. This was discovered by the BIOTECmarin research project.

Biogas experts at the University of Hohenheim believe that up to 50 per cent more energy can be achieved per hectare of cultivated energy crops. The researchers are hoping that Germanys first biogas research plant will provide them with new insights.

Article - 01/06/2008

Plants as soil remediators

Max Planck scientists and researchers at the University of Heidelberg have discovered a gene that enables certain plants to grow on soils with high heavy metal concentrations and that even contributes to the soils remediation. The gene product is a transport protein in the cell membrane.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing total funding for research into biomass utilisation of 50 million euros. Biofuels remain an important research topic this is more than evident from the current debate on biofuel in Germany.

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.

An outline of ideas or a proposal must be sent up until 14th May 2008.