Dossier - 19/10/2022 More food sustainability: crucial for people and for the environment Strawberries in winter and imported apples? You can find them in most supermarkets. This is not sustainable. Looking to the future, the way we eat needs to change in many mundane ways – and this needs to happen quickly so that future generations will also be able to enjoy a planet that is worth living on. In Baden-Württemberg, alternative nutrition concepts are being worked at pace. Many creative ideas and innovative products already exist.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/more-food-sustainability-crucial-people-and-environment
Press release - 10/10/2022 For Animal Welfare & Environmental Protection: State lays cornerstone for new "HoLMiR" research center More animal welfare and better animal health, more climate protection and less environmental impact: Researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart are pursuing these goals with a new approach: They are exploring the interplay between farm animals and the millions of microorganisms in the animals’ digestive tracts. The federal and state governments are supporting the university with the construction of a unique research center for around…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/fuer-tierwohl-umweltschutz-land-legt-grundstein-fuer-neuartiges-forschungszentrum-holmir
Press release - 06/10/2022 New Electrolysis Processes for Sustainable Chemical Production Basic chemicals, which are needed as raw materials for a wide range of products such as medicines and detergents, can currently only be produced with an enormously high input of energy and raw materials. In many cases, fossil fuels and raw materials are still used. The extraction of chemical substances alone requires high temperatures, expensive catalysts made of precious metals and, in some cases, environmentally harmful starting materials. https://www.bio-pro.de/en/activities/biological-transformation/aktuelles/neue-elektrolyseverfahren-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-chemische-produktion
Press release - 06/10/2022 New Electrolysis Processes for Sustainable Chemical Production Basic chemicals, which are needed as raw materials for a wide range of products such as medicines and detergents, can currently only be produced with an enormously high input of energy and raw materials. In many cases, fossil fuels and raw materials are still used. The extraction of chemical substances alone requires high temperatures, expensive catalysts made of precious metals and, in some cases, environmentally harmful starting materials. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/neue-elektrolyseverfahren-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-chemische-produktion
Press release - 05/10/2022 Second Stem Cell Type Discovered in Mouse Brain In the brain of adult mammals neural stem cells ensure that new nerve cells, i.e. neurons, are constantly formed. This process, known as adult neurogenesis, helps mice maintain their sense of smell. A research team led by Dr Francesca Ciccolini at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN) of Heidelberg University recently discovered a second stem cell population in the mouse brain. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/zweiter-stammzelltyp-im-maeusehirn-entdeckt
Press release - 05/10/2022 Flood protection during rain events, cooling of buildings and urban spaces during heat waves The glass facade of a high-rise building can get so hot that you can fry eggs on it – a major factor in the overheating of our cities. At the same time, flood events such as torrential monsoon rains cause billions of dollars of damage annually. On October 4, 2022, a solution to both problems was presented at the University of Stuttgart.https://www.bio-pro.de/en/activities/biological-transformation/aktuelles/flood-protection-during-rain-events-cooling-buildings-and-urban-spaces-during-heat-waves
Press release - 05/10/2022 Flood protection during rain events, cooling of buildings and urban spaces during heat waves The glass facade of a high-rise building can get so hot that you can fry eggs on it – a major factor in the overheating of our cities. At the same time, flood events such as torrential monsoon rains cause billions of dollars of damage annually. On October 4, 2022, a solution to both problems was presented at the University of Stuttgart.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/flood-protection-during-rain-events-cooling-buildings-and-urban-spaces-during-heat-waves
Büsnau biorefinery - 05/10/2022 KoalAplan: municipal wastewater as a source of recyclable materials Our wastewater not only contains dirt and excretions, but is also rich in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be recovered. A sewage plant can thus become a source of raw materials. In the KoalAplan project, a new type of biorefinery will be used to convert the carbon recovered from wastewater into sustainable products.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/koalaplan-municipal-wastewater-source-recyclable-materials
Press release - 04/10/2022 Microscopic Octopuses from a 3D Printer Although just cute little creatures at first glance, the microscopic geckos and octopuses fabricated by 3D laser printing in the molecular engineering labs at Heidelberg University could open up new opportunities in fields such as microrobotics or biomedicine. The printed microstructures are made from novel materials – known as smart polymers – whose size and mechanical properties can be tuned on demand and with high precision. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/mikroskopisch-kleine-kraken-aus-dem-3d-drucker
Press release - 29/09/2022 Algae as microscopic biorefineries Fossil raw materials are limited and not available and extractable everywhere in the world – as we are becoming acutely aware of right now by the example of fossil fuels and rising energy prices. Renewable raw material sources will therefore play an increasingly important role in the future: as energy sources, but ideally also as suppliers of building blocks for more environmentally compatible chemicals and materials.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/algen-als-mikroskopische-bioraffinerien
Press release - 28/09/2022 First successful trial for early detection of HPV-related cancer of the pharynx Screening trials for the early detection of rare diseases often fail due to insufficient predictive power of the results. For the rare HPV-related cancer of the pharynx, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) now relied on the combined detection of antibodies against two different viral proteins in a proof-of concept trial.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/erste-erfolgreiche-studie-zur-frueherkennung-von-hpv-bedingtem-krebs-im-rachenraum
Press release - 21/09/2022 ERC funding: How to deliver gene therapies to a specific target site? With its "Proof of Concept" grants, the European Research Council ERC supports scientists in further developing the commercial potential of their research results. Nina Papavasiliou from the DKFZ is now receiving the prestigious grant for the second time: she wants to advance the development of a "molecular delivery service" that ensures that therapeutic genes reach the right address in the body in a targeted manner.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/erc-funding-how-deliver-gene-therapies-specific-target-site
Press release - 01/09/2022 Personalised antibiotic treatment strategies for tuberculosis patients Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with an estimated 1.4 million deaths and ten million people infected annually. Resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) variants of the tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis pose a major threat to tuberculosis control and global health.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/personalisierte-antibiotika-behandlungsstrategie-bei-tuberkulose-erkrankten
Press release - 31/08/2022 Using nanopores to detect epigenetic changes faster Changes known as epigenetic modifications play an important role in cancer development, among other things. Being able to analyze them quickly and reliably could, for example, contribute significantly to the further development of personalized therapy.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/using-nanopores-detect-epigenetic-changes-faster
Project BW2Pro - 29/08/2022 Biowaste to Products: biorefinery transforms biowaste into new products In 2020, Germany’s population collected over 5 million tonnes of biowaste. Most of this was composted, and some was fermented into biogas. Scientists in Baden-Württemberg think there's room for more. Within the project ‘Biowaste to Products’ (BW2Pro) they want to transform biowaste into new products in a biorefinery. The idea is to produce biodegradable plant pots, mulch material, fertilisers, enzymes and biobased plastics in addition to…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biowaste-products-biorefinery-transforms-biowaste-new-products
Press release - 18/08/2022 When smooth muscle cells lack strength University of Tübingen team discovers how malformations of the blood vessels can occur in mice – yielding information with possible ramifications for retinal disease.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/when-smooth-muscle-cells-lack-strength
Press release - 29/07/2022 New centre for model-based artificial intelligence A centre for model-based artificial intelligence has been set up at Heidelberg University to link mathematical modelling methods with information processing in neuronal networks. The Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS) is funding the CZS Heidelberg Center for Model-Based AI with five million euros over a period of six years.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-centre-model-based-artificial-intelligence
Press release - 26/07/2022 Lavender cultivation on the Swabian alb: Essential oil and textiles from plant residues In Provence, the lavender fields are in full bloom again. This blaze of color may soon also be seen in Baden-Württemberg. In a joint research project, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), the University of Hohenheim and the company naturamus are testing suitable lavender varieties and developing energy-efficient methods for producing essential oil from them. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/lavender-cultivation-swabian-alb-essential-oil-and-textiles-plant-residues
Organ-on-chip for the analysis of drug effects - 20/07/2022 New 3D cell platform allows continuous metabolic monitoring Organ-on-chips systems are systems containing miniature tissues grown inside mircrofluidic chips. By integrating microsensors, researchers at the IMTEK Freiburg, together with the RWTH Aachen University Hospital, created a novel variant that allows the measurement of metabolic activity directly on site and in real time. This enables the rapid and detailed analysis of drug effects outside an organism.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-3d-cell-platform-allows-continuous-metabolic-monitoring
Biotech in outer space - 06/07/2022 yuri, a space start-up: weightlessness for commercial research Growing cells without the effect of gravity could revolutionise drug development. A start-up called yuri on Lake Constance enables made-to-measure experiments on the ISS for stem cells, artificial organs, surfaces and materials. On board the next mission are some mini-cell labs from Berlin's Charité and Goethe University Frankfurt.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/yuri-space-start-weightlessness-commercial-research
Press release - 23/06/2022 Cancer patients receiving immunotherapy: no evidence of increased risk for severe immune complication after COVID-19 vaccination Does COVID-19 vaccination increase the risk of cancer patients undergoing therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors to suffer a dangerous immune complication known as a "cytokine release syndrome"? A team of Heidelberg physicians and scientists has now shown in a clinical study: Increased serum levels of the characteristic cytokines occur frequently in cancer patients, but clinically relevant cases of the dreaded syndrome were not…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cancer-patients-receiving-immunotherapy-no-evidence-increased-risk-severe-immune-complication-after-covid-19-vaccination
Assay to support the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases - 22/06/2022 Tracking down pathogenic immune complexes Soluble complexes of antibodies and their target structures circulating in the blood can trigger serious systemic inflammations. Dr. Philipp Kolb and Haizhang Chen from the Institute of Virology at the Freiburg University Medical Centre have developed a sensitive, cell-based test system for detecting these immune complexes. The system can be used to diagnose systemic autoimmune diseases, and also severe cases of COVID-19.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/tracking-down-pathogenic-immune-complexes
Press release - 21/06/2022 Another step towards synthetic cells Scientists from the 2. Physics Institute at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research were now able to take the next step towards synthetic cells: They introduced functional DNA-based cytoskeletons into cell-sized compartments and showed functionality. The results were recently published in Nature Chemistry.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/another-step-towards-synthetic-cells
Press release - 20/06/2022 Protein changes in the liquor indicate inflammatory processes in the brain Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases are associated with inflammatory processes in the brain. German researchers have succeeded in identifying a group of proteins in the liquor that could provide information about such inflammatory processes. As so-called biomarkers, the proteins could help to better understand disease processes in the future and to test the effect of potential drugs against brain inflammation.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/protein-changes-liquor-indicate-inflammatory-processes-brain
Press release - 03/06/2022 Deep Learning helps improve gene therapies and antiviral drugs The nuclease Cas13b associated with the CRISPR gene scissors, which is an enzyme that degrades nucleic acids, has the potential to be used in the future in hereditary diseases to switch off unwanted genes. In the fight against infections, this nuclease is also being researched as an antiviral agent, as Cas13b can specifically intervene in the genetic material of viruses and render them harmless.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/deep-learning-helps-improve-gene-therapies-and-antiviral-drugs