Sustainability and use of renewable resources represent an important part of any production process with regard to circular economy and for the sake of our planet. With all the biomass available, utilization thereof offers a variety of applications. The European project CARBAFIN has developed a radically new value chain for the use of sucrose from sugar beet biomass. Specific enzymes convert sucrose into new compounds, such as functional glycosides or platform chemicals. These are relevant for different industry sectors, which are highlighted below.

Co-Autorin: Aleksandra Fuchs

Die Umwelt – Ein Thema, das global gesehen, seit 2019 immer mehr Menschen beschäftigt und oft sogar mehr Sorgen bereitet als zB ihre eigenen Jobs.¹ Wir achten darauf weniger Plastik zu verschwenden, weniger zu reisen und möglichst Waren mit langen Transportwegen zu meiden. Ein weiterer, stark diskutierter Punkt ist zudem der enorme Fleischkonsum, der nicht nur schrecklich viele Ressourcen und Land benötigt, sondern auch mehr Wasser- und Luftverschmutzung verursacht als der gesamte Verkehrssektor.

,,Der Nächste bitte!“
„Guten Tag! Ich hätte gerne 30 dag Hühnerfleisch aus dem Labor und … 35 dag Kochfleisch, auch aus dem Labor.“
„Bitte sehr, gerne, hier das Hühnerfleisch aus dem Labor für Sie. Kochfleisch aus dem Labor haben wir noch nicht im Sortiment. ‘‘

Diese Konversation aus einer Fleischerei kann bald Realität auf unserer Erde werden. Denn, das erste Hühnerfleisch aus dem Labor befindet sich schon auf dem Lebensmittelmarkt. Singapur hat als erstes Land auf der Welt das Vermarkten dieser Fleischart im Dezember 2020 offiziell zugelassen. Das amerikanische Unternehmen ,,Eat Just‘‘ wird Singapur demnächst mit dieser Art von Hühnerfleisch beliefern.

Some magnetic materials are able to absorb electro-magnetic waves and transform them into heat. But how do they do it? And is there a single mechanism or an optimum frequency for this process? To answer these and other fundamental questions of magnetic heating, first some introductory concepts must be clarified related to the magnetic response of the materials to a magnetic field.

Contactless magnetic heating may sound scary, but it is part of your daily life experience. Every time you heat-up your morning coffee mocha with an induction cooker, you are using magnetic fields and magnetic materials. But can this kind of heating also be used to solve high-tech problems? This is the question that scientists are trying to answer in the H2020-FETOPEN project HOTZYMES.

Plants, which are the primary source of food and animal feed, are not only affected by diseases during their growth but also following harvest and subsequent storage. Especially fungi that can efficiently degrade organic matter cause substantial losses of this valuable resource. Such losses can be prevented if adequate countermeasures are implemented. A recent study demonstrates how microbial markers can be used for the early detection of disease progression. Reliable biomarkers can be specifically targeted in the future to reduce food waste and to improve the storability of agricultural goods.

Enzyme spielen die erste Geige, die Zelle ist ein Saal für das gesamte – perfekt eingespielte – Orchester und ForscherInnen wirken als Komponisten? Heraus kommen dabei nicht etwa Töne sonder Düfte! Unser musikalischer Denkansatz veranschaulicht die komplexen Produktionsprozesse in der Biotechnologie anhand eines Beispiels aus dem Aromastoff-Bereich.

Scientists from the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna and the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) discovered a gene switch in yeast, that was able to change twelve genes – and thereby the metabolic process of yeast as a whole. This work explains evolutionary events that happened more than 120 million years ago. The results have recently been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications and have the potential to be used in the food and feed industry and for the production of bio fuels and new building blocks for bioplastics.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not only restricted to clinical environments, nor do they always pose an immediate danger for humans. Various environmental niches are occupied by complex microbial communities that also include members that can carry one or different antibiotic resistances. The plant microbiome often harbors highly competitive microorganisms that can shield of pathogens and contribute to the host’s health. In their latest study researchers from acib-partner TU Graz have focused on antibiotic resistances in a common salad plant and found that the indigenous enterobacterial community contributes to the highly interesting profile.

The responsible transport gene that allows the production of lemon acid in large quantities was recently discovered. A breakthrough!