14 September 202311 September 2023 Wood modification boosts biomass conversion By adding a naturally-occurring polymer that makes wood more porous, scientists have engineered trees easier to disassemble into simpler building blocks
27 June 202326 June 2023 Clean, sustainable fuels made ‘from thin air’ and plastic waste Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes – or even directly from the air – and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun
1 June 20231 June 2023 Driving on sunshine: clean, usable liquid fuels made from solar power Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car’s engine as drop-in fuel
Fahren mit der Sonne: saubere, nutzbare Flüssigkraftstoffe aus Sonnenenergie Künstliche Blätter können direkt sauberes Ethanol und Propanol produzieren
2 May 202326 April 2023 Photosynthesis ‘hack’ could lead to new ways of generating renewable energy Researchers found that ‘rewiring’ of photosynthesis could improve how it deals with excess energy, and create new and more efficient ways of using its power
Durchbruch auf dem Weg zur biologischen Solarzelle Forschende stellen bisherige Funktionsweise der Fotosynthese infrage
19 January 202317 January 2023 Solarbetriebenes System wandelt Plastik und Treibhausgase in nachhaltige Brennstoffe um "Das Besondere an diesem System ist seine Vielseitigkeit und Einstellbarkeit"
17 January 202312 January 2023 Solar-powered system converts plastic and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels Researchers have developed a system that can transform plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products – using just the energy from the Sun
5 September 202230 August 2022 RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever
Speed-the-Leaf: RIPE’s photosynthesis breakthru offers a 20% increase in crop yield Some years ago, the RIPE team went down the rabbit hole of transforming photosynthesis, on the noble theory that if plants are more efficient, we’ll have more food, fiber, fuel, and what have you
30 August 202225 August 2022 Floating ‘artificial leaves’ ride the wave of clean fuel production Researchers have developed floating ‘artificial leaves’ that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea
2 June 202225 May 2022 Low-cost battery-like device absorbs CO2 emissions while it charges The CO2 can be released in a controlled way and collected to be reused or disposed of responsibly
Preiswertes, batterie-ähnliches Gerät absorbiert beim Aufladen CO2 Bei der Entladung lässt sich das CO2 kontrolliert auffangen, um es wiederzuverwenden oder zu entsorgen
27 May 202223 May 2022 Blaualgen versorgen Mikroprozessor mit Strom Eine Kultur aus Cyanobakterien nutzt Sonnenlicht zur Photosynthese und erzeugt dabei elektrischen Strom. Damit läuft ein Mikroprozessor bereits ein Jahr lang
Algae-powered computing: scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell Researchers have used a widespread species of blue-green algae to power a microprocessor continuously for a year – and counting – using nothing but ambient light and water. Their system has potential as a reliable and renewable way to power small devices
11 March 20228 March 2022 New, nature-inspired concepts for turning CO2 into clean fuels Some Cambridge researchers, working with a team from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal, have developed a method to improve the efficiency of electrolysis by fine-tuning the solution conditions to alter the local environment of the enzymes
18 January 202217 January 2022 OSU research finds way to scrub carbon dioxide from factory emissions, make useful products A scientific collaboration led by a researcher at Oregon State University resulted in the development of a new compound that can harvest carbon dioxide from smokestacks and use it to produce commercially beneficial chemicals
25 November 202123 November 2021 This new biodegradable glitter is made entirely from plants Almost all of the glitter you’ve ever used is still floating around the planet. This new formulation has just one ingredient, but it’s still as shimmery as the original
17 November 202113 November 2021 Sustainable, biodegradable glitter – from your fruit bowl Plant-based biodegradable glitter sparkles without the microplastics
3 September 20219 September 2021 Using plastic waste to help solve sand shortages Does the world have a shortage of sand? At first, that might sound like a peculiar question
14 July 20219 July 2021 Researchers create new polymer film from plant protein New paper is the culmination of more than 10 years’ research into understanding how nature generates materials from proteins
18 June 202116 June 2021 ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics Researchers have created a plant-based, sustainable, scalable material that could replace single-use plastics in many consumer products
21 May 202125 November 2021 The world’s first ‘infinite’ plastic The way we normally recycle plastics is a downward spiral of waste and degraded materials, but there is another option – turning plastic back into the oil it was made from
5 February 20219 September 2021 Sustainable hydrogen production a step closer Reisner lab received ERC Proof of Concept Grant for "SolReGen" project aiming at coupling photoreforming process with a benign enzymatic waste pre-treatment
20 January 202127 April 2022 Inspired by kombucha tea, engineers create “living materials” A symbiotic culture of specialized yeast and bacteria can generate tough materials able to perform a variety of functions
29 October 202026 October 2020 Hemp in high-performance composites? What potential do hemp fibres have to be used in fibre-reinforced composites - researchers of the Biomimetic Innovation Centre at HSB publish a comprehensive review with colleagues from France, Italy and England
Welches Potential haben Hanffasern für den Einsatz in Faserverbundwerkstoffen? Anwendungen von naturfaserverstärktem, spritzgegossenem Kinderspielzeug bis zu Hochleistungsverbundwerkstoffen im Sportbereich oder Bootsbau Hochschule Bremen an internationaler Veröffentlichung zum Stand der Forschung und Entwicklung beteiligt
14 September 202012 September 2020 Microbes working together multiply biomass conversion possibilities With the race for renewable energy sources in full swing, plants offer one of the most promising candidates for replacing crude oil
7 September 20209 September 2021 Wireless device makes clean fuel from sunlight, CO2 and water Researchers team from the University of Cambridge made a significant step toward achieving artificial photosynthesis
30 October 20199 September 2021 ‘Artificial leaf’ successfully produces clean gas University of Cambridge researchers demonstrated that this innovative device can directly produce syngas in a sustainable and simple way
‘Künstliches Blatt’ produziert erfolgreich sauberes Gas Forscher der Universität Cambridge konnten nachweisen, dass das innovative Gerät auf nachhaltige, einfache Weise sogenanntes Synthesegas erzeugen kann
21 August 201919 August 2019 Which Molecules Are Key for a Sustainable Chemical Industry? Cambridge researchers screened a large chemical database with over 105 million compounds and identified "strategic" compounds for a circular economy
5 February 20194 February 2019 New Lightweight Bio-Composite Using Date Palm Fiber Biomass for Automotive Applied Science and Manufacturing explored the potential of waste leaf sheath date palm fibers for composite reinforcement
14 January 20199 January 2019 Synthetic biology start-up Colorifix raises $3m Series A round to scale its revolutionary textile dyeing solution Colorifix uses synthetic biology methods to create a range of colours produced naturally by organisms such as microbes, plants, animals and insects
10 December 20186 December 2018 Don’t quibble with a gribble: why a curious crustacean could hold secret to making renewable energy from wood Discovery brings researchers a step closer to identifying cheaper and more sustainable tools for converting wood into low carbon fuel
9 August 20189 September 2021 Carbon Capture, Solar Fuels, Fossil Bubble Tackling the CO2 challenge provides possibilities for encouraging innovation and a more sustainable circular economy
2 August 201831 July 2018 Ruling on gene editing crops a threat to innovation and future food security, scientists say Plants traits introduced by Crispr gene editing will be subject to the same regulatory process as 1980s-style gmos containing genes from other species, Europe’s highest court rules
23 July 20189 September 2021 Econic Technologies appoints new Head of Process Development Chemical engineer David Walker will take on responsibility for Econic’s process development programmes and Customer Demonstration Facility
9 July 20189 September 2021 Neuer Weltrekord bei der direkten solaren Wasserspaltung Tandem-Solarzelle aus III-V-Halbleitern mit Rhodium-Nanopartikeln und kristallinem Titandioxid
12 March 20189 March 2018 Exploring the secret of plants Thanks to chlorophyll, plants are able to convert sunlight directly into chemical energy
Das Geheimnis der Pflanzen lüften Dank Chlorophyll gelingt es den Pflanzen, Sonnenlicht direkt in chemische Energie umzuwandeln
26 February 201822 February 2018 In living colour: Brightly-coloured bacteria could be used to ‘grow’ paints and coatings Researchers found by genetically mutating bacteria and within changing the geometry in the colonies, they changed the colour
8 February 20186 February 2018 The bio-composite market cannot grow fast enough: report IDTechEx forecasts the revenue for bast fibres used in composite parts to exceed $140 million by 2027
1 February 201830 January 2018 Ingenza embarks on ConBioChem collaboration Company aims to develop new industrial biotech-based routes to commodity chemicals
19 January 201817 January 2018 Harnessing the power of algae: new, greener fuel cells move step closer to reality Cambridge researchers have developed a two-chamber BPV system utilizing algae to convert light into electricity
Mutierte Algen erzeugen und speichern Solarstrom Forscher der Universität Cambridge haben ein Bio-PV-System entwickelt, das mit Hilfe von Algen Sonnenenergie in Strom umwandeln und speichern kann
10 May 201726 April 2017 Kunststoff-fressende Larve entdeckt Bioabbau von Polyethylen als Forschungsziel
16 March 201715 March 2017 Scientists harness solar power to produce clean hydrogen from biomass A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has developed a way of using solar power to generate a fuel
10 January 201730 December 2016 Wasserstoff aus Sonnenlicht – aber im Dunkeln Graphitisches Kohlenstoffnitrid kann für die künstliche Photosynthese Elektronen erzeugen, speichern und zeitverzögert wieder freisetzen
Dark Photocatalysis: Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitride for Time-Delayed Hydrogen Generation New approach for storing sunlight as long-lived radicals provides the structural basis for designing photocatalysts with long-lived photo-induced states