ProteinDistillery GmbH - 20/04/2022 Using microorganisms to create a source of sustainable protein Yeast has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. ProteinDistillery GmbH now wants to revolutionise the environmentally friendly protein suppliers market by introducing brewer's yeast and secure the protein supply of the future.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/using-microorganisms-create-source-sustainable-protein
pre-start-up company Wheyfinery - 13/04/2022 Acid whey as a valuable raw material for platform chemicals and more There is not much you can do with acid whey, which is why several million litres of it are disposed of every year. This is both costly and not sustainable. However, researchers at Tübingen University have shown: acid whey can be used to produce precursors for biofuels, fine chemicals and antimicrobial livestock feed additives. They have set up the pre-start-up company Wheyfinery in an endeavour to make their scalable biorefinery concept…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/acid-whey-valuable-raw-material-platform-chemicals-and-more
Lentil cultivation and cleaning on the farm - EIP-AGRI Rhizo-Linse project - 16/03/2022 Lentils return to the Heckengäu region Lentils are among the oldest crop plants in Central European agriculture and were once a popular food in ancient Egypt, Persia and Mesopotamia. The legume was widespread in Germany until the mid-20th century, but has since disappeared completely from farmers’ fields. Over the past decade, lentils have reappeared as a crop grown locally and are cultivated in harmony with nature.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/lentils-return-heckengaeu-region
Alternative foodstuff ? - 09/03/2022 Hemp: regional superfood and valuable source of protein If there were a competition for the ‘crop of the future’, hemp would certainly be at the top. But not because of the intoxicating effect of some hemp varieties. Cannabis has the potential to help supply protein in the quantities required by a growing world population – in a sustainable way. The TASTINO project brings together researchers from academia and industry to work on ways to make the regional superfood available as a vegan alternative.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/hemp-regional-superfood-and-valuable-source-protein
Alpha-Protein GmbH - 27/07/2021 Insect farming for sustainability Mealworms instead of fish meal and soybean meal - this is what the sustainable future of feed production looks like as Alpha-Protein GmbH see it. The company has built a highly efficient automated production plant in which residual materials from local food production are used to breed mealworms.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/insect-farming-sustainability
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
Zero Bullshit Company - 31/05/2021 From being thrown away to becoming a recycled product - Stuttgart start-up produces healthy snacks Throwing away food? The Stuttgart-based start-up Zero Bullshit Company is declaring war on food wastage by making nutrient-rich products largely from food industry leftovers. The three food technologists who created this transparent brand are looking to develop more than just delicious and nutritious products.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/being-thrown-away-becoming-recycled-product-stuttgart-start-produces-healthy-snacks
Press release - 03/05/2021 Bioactive paper coatings to replace plastic for packaging foods The amount of plastic waste increases every year. Some of this waste is due to plastic packaging used to protect food. As part of the “BioActiveMaterials” project, researchers at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have developed an eco-friendly coating for paper packaging. With this, not only is plastic saved, but the coating of plant-based proteins and waxes also extends the shelf life of the food.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/bioactive-paper-coatings-replace-plastic-packaging-foods
Alternative source of protein - 07/04/2021 Smart insect farms as sustainable protein sources of the future It is estimated that by 2050, if not before, the world's population will have grown so much that it will be difficult to provide adequate supplies of food for everyone. It is therefore high time to look for alternatives. One option could be insects as an environmentally friendly source of protein for humans and animals. The start-up company Cepri is developing smart insect farms with the goal to make primary production, which is not yet…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/smart-insect-farms-sustainable-protein-sources-future
Press release - 01/03/2021 Vegetable proteins replace petroleum-based raw materials Just like cellulose, lignin and fats, proteins are renewable raw materials. Their potential for the chemical industry remains largely untapped. Research teams at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV are collaborating with partners to change all this, the idea being to use the promising technofunctional properties of vegetable proteins for industrial applications. The aim of the TeFuProt project is to shift away from…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/vegetable-proteins-replace-petroleum-based-raw-materials
Press release - 21/12/2020 How Do We Want to Run Our Economy and Production? The wastewater treatment plant is turned into a vegetable farm, bio-based substances recovered from waste are being utilized to prevent oxidative spoilage in food packaging or provide environmentally-friendly and safe water-repellent coatings on functional textiles. In the EVOBIO project coordinated by Fraunhofer IGB, 19 Fraunhofer Institutes are working on solutions for a sustainable economy.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/How-Do-We-Want-to-Run-Our-Economy-and-Production
Development of biogenic packaging - 16/11/2020 Sustainable packaging - the devil is in the detail Modern packaging often boils down to a tick list of biogenic origin and/or biodegradability. But comprehensive sustainable packaging concepts need more than just that. Perishable foods, for example, require special barrier properties. The Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences is researching packaging concepts for their sustainability.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/sustainable-packaging-devil-detail
Press release - 30/09/2020 EIB and EC launch circular bioeconomy fund The European Commission (EC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have launched a circular bioeconomy fund with a target size of €250m.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/eib-and-ec-launch-circular-bioeconomy-fund
Press release - 28/08/2020 Bayreuth researchers develop new biomaterials from spider silk New biomaterials developed at the University of Bayreuth eliminate risk of infection and facilitate healing processes. These nanostructured materials are based on spider silk proteins. They prevent colonization by bacteria and fungi, but at the same time proactively assist in the regeneration of human tissue. They are therefore ideal for implants, wound dressings, prostheses, contact lenses, and other everyday aids.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/preventing-infection-facilitating-healing-bayreuth-researchers-develop-new-biomaterials-spider-silk
Press release - 21/08/2020 Artificial Carbohydrates for Sustainable Food Production What alternatives to conventional agriculture exist to produce carbohydrates for food and feed? Scientists at Heidelberg University performed model calculations for artificial sugar production with a view towards synthesis of other carbohydrates such as starch.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/artificial-carbohydrates-sustainable-food-production
Press release - 27/07/2020 Self-healing soft material outsmarts nature A soft material that heals itself instantaneously is now reality.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Self-healing-soft-material-outsmarts-nature
The "Protein Initiative” and the “Rhizo-Lentil" EIP-AGRI project - 31/01/2020 LTZ Augustenberg promotes regional protein production In future, more lentils, soybeans, peas, field beans and lupins will be grown again in Baden-Württemberg farms. This is what Dr. Carola Blessing from the Agricultural Technology Center (LTZ) Augustenberg is working on. It therefore became clear very quickly that the LTZ Augustenberg needed to get involved in the "Rhizo-Linse" project that aims to further develop lentil cultivation.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/LTZ-Augustenberg-promotes-regional-protein-production
Producing valuable new products from waste materials - 07/01/2020 A vision: insect biorefineries as components of a sustainable bioeconomy Eco-friendly and responsibly manufactured products are more in demand than ever before. Specific research is being carried out into materials and applications for a wide variety of uses. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working with Hermetia Baruth GmbH on the vision of an insect biofactory that uses waste materials to produce a wide range of products such as biosurfactants, animal feed or foils. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/A-vision-insect-biorefineries-as-components-of-a-sustainable-bioeconomy
EIP-AGRI project coordination - 12/12/2019 nadicom: “Rhizo-Linse” project – excellent small fertiliser factories Lentil plants, rarely cultivated in Central Europe in the twentieth century, are making a comeback. The "Rhizo-Linse"1 EIP-AGRI project aims to reintroduce old lentil varieties and make them appealing to farmers. A company called nadicom Gesellschaft für angewandte Mikrobiologie mbH is working on the development of an ecological product consisting of nodule bacteria that can improve lentil plant growth.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/nadicom-Rhizo-Linse-project-excellent-small-fertiliser-factories
Article - 04/07/2019 Sustainable energy storage using egg shells Germans consumed 235 chicken eggs per head. While egg white and egg yolks are processed into cakes, pasta or scrambled eggs, the shell predominantly ends up as organic waste. This despite the fact that eggshells are complex composites of lime and protein fibres. “It has repeatedly been shown over recent years that natural products are excellently suited for energy storage,” explains Professor Maximilian Fichtner from the Helmholtz Institute Ulm,…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/nachhaltige-energiespeicher-aus-eierschalen
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
Plant breeding - 19/11/2018 Tobacco for health Plants can be used as biofactories to produce valuable active ingredients such as proteins, antibodies, dyes or vaccines. A project called Newcotiana aims to re-position the existent tobacco industry infrastructure. The project partners, including Prof. Dr. Holger Puchta from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, use modern breeding methods to develop tobacco varieties with new capabilities.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/tobacco-for-health
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…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/textiles-water-repellent-thanks-to-fungal-proteins
Article - 27/11/2017 Microalgae – resource-saving raw materials for the food and feed sectors Coal, petrol and natural gas are our energy sources and the basis for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. However, the supply of fossil fuels is gradually running out. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has turned to microalgae in the search for alternative sources of energy. Initial pilot projects in which a variety of different methods based on state-of-the-art technologies were…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microalgae-resource-saving-raw-materials-for-the-food-and-feed-sectors
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