Bioeconomy

Natural substance with herbicide potential - 10/12/2020

The same but different: What makes sugar 7Sdh a better herbicide?

The sugar 7-deoxy-sedoheptulose (7dSh) is produced by cyanobacteria and inhibits the same metabolic pathway as the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, thus making it an excellent herbicide candidate. Despite this amazing similarity, the microbiologist who discovered 7dSh, Prof. Dr. Karl Forchhammer, believes that this sugar has clear ecological advantages over glyphosate.

Products made from bio-based plastics must undergo the same testing procedures as conventional plastic products to access the market of the European Union (EU). Thereby a health risk for consumers is excluded. Plastics intended to be certified as biodegradable or compostable must undergo additional tests.

Biosensors - 03/12/2019

Learning from honey bees

Biosensors are used in medical diagnostics and food and environmental analyses, to name just a few examples. apic.ai, a start-up based in Karlsruhe, uses honey bees as bioindicators to gain insights into the state of the ecosystem. The company also uses artificial intelligence (AI) methods for their ecotoxicological investigations.

Plastic waste - 23/08/2018

Microplastic in waters – mini waste as maxi problem

New studies reveal that rivers are major contributors to marine ecosystem pollution. A study commissioned by environmental authorities in BW and four other German states analysed samples from 25 rivers to gain an idea of the occurrence of microplastics in German inland waters. In addition, Dr. Natalie Orlowski from the University of Freiburg is analysing microplastics pollution in the Dreisam River.

Article - 04/12/2017

Textiles: water-repellent thanks to fungal proteins

Outdoor lovers and athletes love them: water-repellent jackets and trousers. However, many consumers are unaware that the chemicals used to functionalise the textile surface often pollute the environment. Organic fluorine compounds (perfluorocarbons = PFC) are usually added to textiles to make them water-repellent. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Hohenstein Group are researching an…

Article - 11/10/2016

Nanofur for cleaning up accidental oil spills in water

Accidental oil spills such as those following oil disasters need to be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Researchers from the KIT in Karlsruhe have now developed an environmentally friendly process that can eliminate oil spills effectively. Nanofur is a material that imitates the fine hairs of aquatic ferns and is capable of absorbing large amounts of oil within a relatively short time.

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.