ProGrün project - 30/12/2023

Using proteins extracted from grassland cuttings to produce animal feed and exploit by-product streams

Animal feed often contains protein from soy and importing it causes major environmental harm. In the ProGrün project, researchers at the University of Hohenheim, including a work group led by Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse, are developing a scalable technological process to extract proteins from grassland cuttings and use them to make sustainable animal feed produced in the region where it will be used.

Sustainable binder alternative - 18/12/2023

Copied from insects: new biological wood binder under development

Plastic is all around us; and unfortunately, it is not going away any time soon. The search for more sustainable solutions is fully underway. However, binders that degrade only with difficulty or not at all are still used to bond natural materials such as wood and straw - not yet truly environmentally friendly. Fraunhofer researchers are working on an insect-inspired wood binder that makes bonded wood products both resistant and biodegradable.

urban BioEconomyLab - 07/12/2023

The city as a living laboratory for a bioeconomic, sustainable economic area

Baden-Württemberg is leading the way in the transition to a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. One of the projects undertaken is the Fraunhofer IGB’s "urban BioEconomyLab" project which aims to develop a transformation model and living laboratory to find bioeconomic solutions for the sustainable design of cities and municipal industry. What is new is that the IGB takes a systemic approach, focusing on biobased and circular value…

Alternative construction materials: mycelium-based materials - 20/12/2023

Using fungi to create sustainable and economical mycelium-based materials

Most of us see fungi as just food - and possibly pathogens. This is a mistake, because these amazing organisms are capable of much more: they grow on plant residues of all kinds, forming a dense and interconnected structure as they spread. The resulting material can be moulded into desired shapes and be turned into new sustainable and economically attractive products such as leather and polystyrene substitutes or building materials.

Targeted molecular interventions in the replication cycle and the immune recognition of viruses are intended to prevent viral entry into cells and virus replication. Scientists work on new approaches to combating highly dangerous viral diseases such as yellow fever or Lassa fever. The European Union is supporting the project over a period of five years to the tune of just under eight million euros.

A protein with contradictory properties: Despite its large negative surface charge, it has a strong tendency to take up electrons, which are also negatively charged. The researchers discovered positively charged calcium ions inside the protein very near the electrons, counteracting their charge. They see this as a natural way of handling opposing electrical charges and allowing the protein to optimally fulfill its biological function.

The Bayer Foundation's Early Excellence in Science Award 2024 in the category of Data Science goes to Ivana Winkler of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Winkler's work uncovered the unexpected effect of female reproductive capacity: the constantly recurring remodeling of the organs of the female reproductive tract during the sexual cycle leads to fibrosis and chronic inflammation over the years.

Zebrafish can completely replace damaged heart muscle cells: The affected organ becomes fully functional again. Researchers at Ulm University have discovered that a specific cell-to-cell communication signal helps them to cope better with replication stress. This stress inhibits tissue regeneration in humans and mammals as they age. In Zebrafish a signalling protein ensures that the cells of the damaged organ continue to divide and thus multiply.

New polymer for wound care - 09/01/2025

Thermoresponsive adhesive for pain-free removal of wound dressings

Plasters or wound dressings can only perform their intended function if they adhere securely to the skin. However, they are often painful to remove, and in some cases, damage delicate newly formed tissue. Researchers at the University of Freiburg have developed an innovative polymer that adheres reliably at body temperature but can be easily and painlessly removed, leaving no residue, after being cooled.

This year, the Brain Prize worth more than one million euros, honors pioneering work on nervous system-cancer interactions: Neurologist Frank Winkler, who researches at the Heidelberg University and at the German Cancer Research Center and treats patients with brain tumors at the Heidelberg University Hospital, discovered that nerve cells in the brain communicate with brain tumor cells. This causes the disease to progress.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart under the Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS) collaboration developed a biorobotic arm that can mirror human tremors. Artificial muscles on either side of the forearm contract and relax to suppress the involuntary shaking of the wrist and hand.