Press release - 13/01/2022 Turning harmful CO2 into useful chemicals Making important raw materials for fine chemicals out of carbon dioxide really works. As part of the Max Planck collaborative project eBioCO2n, a team of researchers from Fraunhofer IGB have successfully performed a first ever fixation of CO2 via a multi-enzyme enzyme reaction driven by electricity yielding a prospective intermediate for the chemical industry. The process for electro-biocatalytic CO2 fixation was recently published and is…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/turning-harmful-co2-useful-chemicals
Press release - 01/10/2021 Crucial step identified in the conversion of biomass to methane Researchers find the enzymatic link in the formation of methane from fatty acids by cooperating microorganisms. Microbial production of methane from organic material is an essential process in the global carbon cycle and an important source of renewable energy. This natural process is based on a cooperative interaction between different types of microorganisms: the fermenting bacteria and the methane-producing archaea.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/crucial-step-identified-conversion-biomass-methane
Press release - 02/08/2021 CO2 as a raw material for plastics and other products Carbon dioxide is one of the main drivers of climate change – which means that we need to reduce CO2 emissions in the future. Fraunhofer researchers are highlighting a possible way to lower these emissions: They use the greenhouse gas as a raw material, for instance to produce plastics. To do this, they first produce methanol and formic acid from CO2, which they convert via microorganisms into building blocks for polymers and the like.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/co2-raw-material-plastics-and-other-products
Start-up kernique catch the zeitgeist - 29/06/2021 Nut snack as a sustainable ecological concept A delicious vegan nut snack that uses no sugar, artificial additives, gluten or palm oil, is full of essential nutrients, and is part of a commitment to environmental and social sustainability. Impossible? An Esslingen-based start-up called kernique proves otherwise. The start-up is currently planning a crowdfunding phase that offers a lucrative deal for investors. The idea catches the zeitgeist, but what exactly makes it stand out?https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/nut-snack-sustainable-ecological-concept
Press release - 02/02/2021 Cyanobacteria could revolutionize the plastic industry Microbiologists at the University of Tübingen modify bacteria to produce climate-neutral and rapidly degradable bioplastics.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Cyanobacteria-could-revolutionize-the-plastic-industry
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.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/The-same-but-different-what-makes-sugar-7Sdh-a-better-herbicide
Dossier - 09/11/2020 Packaging of the future What will the packaging of the future look like, and what will be required of it? Can packaging be biobased, recyclable, sustainable and economic? In Baden-Württemberg, there are various approaches to developing packaging with the above properties from various sources including agricultural residual and side streams as well as municipal waste.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/packaging-future
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
Press release - 13/05/2020 Microbial Cyborgs: Bacteria Supplying Power Electronic devices are still made of lifeless materials. One day, however, “microbial cyborgs” might be used in fuel cells, biosensors, or bioreactors. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have created the necessary prerequisite by developing a programmable, biohybrid system consisting of a nanocomposite and the Shewanella oneidensis bacterium that produces electrons. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/mikrobielle-cyborgs-bakterien-als-stromlieferanten
Biosensors - 09/04/2020 Sensors for the bioeconomy Sensor networks are one of the keys to achieving digitalisation of the bioeconomy. Sensor networks are on the way to becoming important analysis and control instruments for energy-efficient and sustainable material cycles. Dieter Hertweck, Professor of Business Information Systems at Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, shows what is already possible in digital agriculture and waste recycling and what is feasible for the future.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/Sensors-for-the-bioeconomy
Press release - 01/02/2019 Novel unusual sugar from cyanobacteria acts as natural herbicide Chemists and microbiologists at Tübingen University discover sugar molecule that inhibits the growth of plants and microorganisms and is harmless to human cells ‒ An alternative to controversial glyphosate?https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/novel-unusual-sugar-from-cyanobacteria-acts-as-natural-herbicide
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
Article - 13/09/2017 Flexible biogas plant operation – new concepts for stabilising bioenergy provision The lack of flexibility with regard to peak demand for electricity – both for consumers and producers – is a well-known problem as far as the production of electricity from renewable resources is concerned. Biogas plants present a particular challenge due to the complex and relatively slow microbial processes involved. A research project called FLEXIZUCKER at the Universities of Ulm and Göttingen aims to make biogas production more flexible and…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/flexible-biogas-plant-operation-new-concepts-for-stabilising-bioenergy-provision
Article - 01/06/2015 Cyanobacteria: real all-rounders – biofuel producers and climate savers Prof. Dr. Annegret Wilde and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hess from the Institute of Biology III at the University of Freiburg have been using the versatile cyanobacteria for quite some time. The two researchers are part of the project "Cyanosys - Systems biology of cyanobacterial biofuel production", which aims to use cyanobacteria for the large-scale production of biofuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/cyanobacteria-real-all-rounders-biofuel-producers-and-climate-savers
Dossier - 30/09/2014 Industrial biotechnology: a challenging change to the raw material base Biogenic raw materials have never been as popular as they are now. Efforts to tap renewable carbon resources are already underway, despite the fact that new oil drilling technologies are boosting fossil fuel stockpiles. In the medium term, industry will have to expand its raw materials base, and in the long term it may have to renew it completely. Industrial biotechnology is one of the key technologies in the transition from an economy based on…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/industrial-biotechnology-a-challenging-change-to-the-raw-material-base
Dossier - 09/12/2013 Industrial biotechnology – biological resources for industrial processes Industrial or white biotechnology uses microorganisms and enzymes to produce goods for industry, including chemicals, plastics, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and energy carriers. Renewable raw materials and increasingly also waste from agriculture and forestry are used for the manufacture of industrial goods. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/industrial-biotechnology-biological-resources-for-industrial-processes
Press release - 05/08/2013 greenovation Biotech GmbH – production of therapeutic proteins in moss Plants can be genetically modified in a way that enables them to produce pharmaceutically active proteins for various indications. The small moss Physcomitrella patens is able to produce more complex molecules than bacteria. Moreover, moss is less expensive to grow and less susceptible to pathogenic contaminants than Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. greenovation Biotech GmbH, which has its headquarters in Heilbronn and a branch in Freiburg,…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/greenovation-biotech-gmbh-production-of-therapeutic-proteins-in-moss
Article - 29/07/2013 ‘Go back to start’ in the field of meiosis Researchers have long thought they knew exactly how meiosis, meiosis regulators and the complex that forms between homologous chromosomes during meiosis work. The research group headed by Dr. Andrea Pichler from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg has now discovered a new mechanism that plays an important role in meiosis. The study carried out by Pichler and her colleague Dr. Helene Klug has shown why it is…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/go-back-to-start-in-the-field-of-meiosis
Article - 31/05/2013 Research in Biberach – does the bioeconomy have a purple future? Rhodospirillum rubrum bacteria have long attracted the interest of biotechnologists due to their ability to produce large quantities of pigments. Microbiologist Hartmut Grammel from Biberach University of Applied Sciences and scientists from the Magdeburg-based Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems are studying the bacterias suitability for the fixation of CO2 with the distant objective of producing organic materials with…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/research-in-biberach-does-the-bioeconomy-have-a-purple-future
Article - 01/04/2013 Insights into the secrets of DyP peroxidases AauDyP a DyP peroxidase enzyme found in tree ear mushrooms and other members of the haem peroxidase family are the major field of research of Prof. Dr. Dietmar Plattners research group at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Freiburg. Plattners co-workers Dr. Klaus Piontek and Eric Strittmatter along with colleagues from the International Institute Zittau have clarified the atomic structure of AauDyp using crystallographic…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/insights-into-the-secrets-of-dyp-peroxidases
Article - 25/02/2013 Microalgae can produce more than just fuel Microalgae have played an important role as animal feed or food supplements for decades. They can also produce complex chemical compounds. This so-called material use of microalgae is already a major economic sector. However, when it comes to algal biotechnology, they are almost universally seen as just energy sources.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microalgae-can-produce-more-than-just-fuel
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
Dossier - 22/10/2012 Environmental biotechnology Biotechnologists are increasingly learning how to apply the knowledge about biological metabolic processes in the field of environmental protection including waste management and environmental rehabilitation. Environmental biotechnology is a field with great potential. In future bacteria and other microorganisms will most likely also contribute to sustainability and cost efficiency in other areas including the cosmetics and detergent industry as…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/environmental-biotechnology
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
Dossier - 01/10/2012 Systems biology: understanding complex biological systems Systems biology studies complex interactions within biological systems on the genome proteome and organelle level. Many techniques from the fields of systems theory and associated fields can be used to gain an understanding of the behaviour and biological mechanisms of cellular systems.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/systems-biology-understanding-complex-biological-systems