Article - 10/07/2019 More than just a nut – new products for the bioeconomy Plants are often used for one particular purpose only. However, walnut trees have much more to offer than just delicious nuts. The AlpBioEco project is studying the potential of walnut trees for the bioeconomy and how the potential can be exploited commercially. The international team of researchers is also focusing on apples and herbs.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/mehr-als-eine-harte-nuss-neue-produkte-fur-die-biookonomie
Article - 27/05/2019 Providing Growledge - resources and products for the bioeconomy Miscanthus and hemp are biomass plants that can be used as raw materials for a wide range of products and can be grown on land areas that are currently underutilised. A European consortium led by the University of Hohenheim in Baden-Württemberg has started a five-year project to demonstrate the economic potential of these plants.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/providing-growledge-resources-and-products-for-the-bioeconomy
Article - 08/05/2019 Environmentally friendly alternative to fossil natural gas: methane from biomass In cooperation with the research unit of the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), KIT researchers have built a pilot plant in which biogas produced by fermenting residual organic materials can be upgraded to synthetic methane (synthetic SNG). Biobased methane is not only a sustainable energy source for the heating and transport sectors, but also opens up new opportunities for temporary storage of renewable…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/environmentally-friendly-alternative-to-fossil-natural-gas-methane-from-biomass
Dossier - 15/04/2019 The alternative: “bioplastics” Plastic waste takes years to decompose and pollutes the environment. Nevertheless, plastics are an indispensable part of everyday life. It is therefore all the more important to find a meaningful alternative that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and has better properties and more functionality than conventional plastics. In addition, such an alternative should not be dependent in any way on fossil resources.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/the-alternative-bioplastics
Article - 02/04/2019 Simple sugar could soon compete with glyphosate For many decades, glyphosate has been a common component of agricultural pesticides worldwide, although it is a controversial herbicide that may be harmful. The good news is that a more sustainable alternative is now in sight: researchers from the University of Tübingen have discovered a sugar molecule called 7-deoxy-sedoheptulose (7dSh) which inhibits the growth of plants and microorganisms, but appears to be completely harmless to human cells.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/simple-sugar-could-soon-compete-with-glyphosate
Article - 27/03/2019 Residues from biogas plants as feed for algae Algae are frugal organisms. They require only light, water, minerals and carbon dioxide to be able to produce biomass. These properties will now be exploited economically in a two-year research project. Dr. Stefan Sebök from the University of Hamburg plans to study the holistic utilisation of degradation products of a biogas plant in Wallerstädten by linking them to land-based algae cultivation.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/residues-from-biogas-plants-as-feed-for-algae
Article - 11/02/2019 Natural biopolymers - the sustainable almost-all-rounders Wood pulp as well as hemp and flax are renewable raw materials that can be processed into fibres of a new performance class using innovative technologies. They are environmentally friendly and help to solve waste problems. Products and processes for these fibres of the future are being developed at the DITF Denkendorf. They are suitable for textile and technical applications.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/natural-biopolymers-the-sustainable-almost-all-rounders
Article - 24/01/2019 Scientists to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater In Germany, around 1,500 tonnes of antibiotics per year are administered to humans and animals. As a result, more and more bacteria are developing resistance to common antibiotics. As part of HyReKA, a cooperative project funded by the BMBF, scientists led by Professor Thomas Schwartz from the KIT are investigating how antibiotic-resistant pathogens spread and how they can be prevented from doing so.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/scientists-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-in-wastewater
Article - 10/01/2019 Stocktaking and recommendations for action: the BBAW’s fourth gene technology report In the new gene technology report, the interdisciplinary working group of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW) takes stock of gene technology developments in Germany during the past few decades, and discusses the societal, legal and ethical challenges associated with these technologies in the future. The report is highly topical due to the controversy surrounding the ruling of the European Court of Justice on CRISPR/Cas9 genome…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/stocktaking-and-recommendations-for-action-the-bbaws-fourth-gene-technology-report
Overview Processes and technologies in the bioeconomy https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/bw/definition/processes-and-technologies-in-the-bioeconomy
Dossier - 09/04/2018 Digitisation in agriculture - from precision farming to farming 4.0 Automated steering systems, data-driven targeted application of fertilisers and pesticides, field robots and drones, soil analysis sensors, autonomous driving - digitisation is advancing in agriculture as elsewhere. The question asked by farmers and by society in general is whether the increasing adoption of digital technologies in agriculture is a curse or a blessing.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/digitisation-in-agriculture-from-precision-farming-to-farming-40
Dossier - 20/03/2017 Lignin – a natural resource with huge potential Petroleum is the raw material for basic chemicals. Growing demand and dwindling resources mean that the chemical industry is increasingly focusing on renewable resources. Lignin is a wood component that is proving to be a promising resource. It is currently almost exclusively used for generating energy, although it could also be used for other purposes. In Baden-Württemberg, a research consortium is specifically focused on exploring its…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/lignin-a-natural-resource-with-huge-potential
Commitment for the future of the region Akteursplattform Bioökonomie Baden-Württemberg https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/bw/location/akteursplattform-biooekonomie-baden-wuerttemberg
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.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/industrial-biotechnology-a-challenging-change-to-the-raw-material-base
Dossier - 16/06/2014 Biotechnology as a tool for the production of food https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/biotechnology-as-a-tool-for-the-production-of-food
Dossier - 16/12/2013 Microbial raw material recycling While the use of biotechnological methods for the purification of water, soil and air has already been state of the art for quite a few years, the use of microorganisms for the recovery of metal and mineral raw materials from industrial and agricultural waste has also started to attract the interest of scientists. This dossier addresses this topic, explains what geobiotechnology and urban mining are all about.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/microbial-raw-material-recycling
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
Dossier - 18/11/2013 Innovative textiles made possible by biotechnology https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/innovative-textiles-made-possible-by-biotechnology
Dossier - 23/09/2013 Bioeconomy a new model for industry and the economy On the one hand, a bioeconomy relies on renewable resources to meet society’s need for food, energy and industrial products. On the other, it emphasises the role of biogenic material flows. The bioeconomy model is expected to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels in the long term. In order to implement the shift to a biobased economy on the regional level, the Baden-Württemberg government launched the Bioeconomy Research Strategy in summer 2013.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/bioeconomy-a-new-model-for-industry-and-the-economy
Dossier - 25/03/2013 Biotechnology goes automated Processes that previously required pipetting analysis and production to be carried out manually are increasingly now controlled by automated systems. However this has not necessarily involved a complete reinvention of the wheel instead automation systems used in the plant construction and mechanical engineering sectors are being adapted and optimised for application in the life sciences. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/biotechnology-goes-automated
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