Green Future Within Reach

Circularity, education and initiatives: creative ideas for developing the bioeconomy

The future has a long history in Saxony-Anhalt. New, industrial areas of growth are currently being developed here as part of the fundamental structural transformation as Germany looks ahead to its target of phasing out coal by 2038. In central Germany, the biobased economy is playing a leading role in this transition. The region is well on the way to becoming a full-fledged model for the bioeconomy thanks to its growing infrastructure, scientific expertise and creative potential – even in places where you might least expect it.

Max Greiner sits on the edge of his seat in eager anticipation whenever he thinks about bioplastics. His ingenious madeLocal bioplastics project is, quite literally, teeming with activity and potential. The 22-year-old industrial design student at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle recently won the BESTFORM state competition for creative design. It didn’t take the jury long to decide that his madeLocal project was worthy of the “Vision of the Year” award in recognition of “a fascinating cycle that uses a highly sustainable material and focuses on local production and scalability across many different areas.” This young pioneer from Halle (Saale) has now joined the ranks of all those in Saxony-Anhalt who are blazing the trail for the structural transformation by supporting the growth of innovative sectors – in this case the biobased economy.

Creative thinking driving development of the bioeconomy region

The bioeconomy in Saxony-Anhalt has really taken off in recent years. Large companies such as the Finnish firm UPM are investing hundreds of millions in projects like the biorefinery at the Leuna Chemical Park. Experts have identified Saxony-Anhalt as a location with “optimum conditions thanks to its growing infrastructure, scientific expertise and the strong presence of important sectors.” When Minister for the Economy and competition patron Prof. Armin Willingmann presented Greiner with his award, he highlighted another important factor: “The thriving development of the bioeconomy in Saxony-Anhalt is in part down to the creative thinking of pioneers such as the BESTFORM award winner Max Greiner. This creative mix will carry us forward over the coming years to become a leading bioeconomy region.”

Products made from chitosan: a constant cycle

The BioLab research laboratory at Burg Giebichenstein University describes itself as a “design space for vibrant futures,” and brought Greiner’s idea of a colored glasses frame prototype made of chitosan to fruition. Chitosan is a hugely versatile, but virtually unheard of, bioplastic. Greiner chose this material over a variety of bioplastics to use in his Full Circle semester project. The project task was to develop circular applications and real cycles for and with the material. The potential uses of chitosan really captured Greiner’s imagination, and, with the support of his supervisor Mareike Gast, a professor of industrial design who specializes in material and technology-based product development, he designed a cycle for the material. His project was supported by the firm madebymade in Leipzig, which could provide large quantities of chitin left over from breeding larvae for animal feed.

Greiner’s cycle revolves around the imagined company madeLocal, a cross between an insect farm and makerspace. He explained the process behind his idea: A farm produces enough waste to use as food for larvae. The insects reared on the farm are primarily used as sources of protein for animal feed.  Anything left over is sold to nearby companies and industries. Yet another value chain starts when the chitin from insect exoskeletons and the outer larvae body is converted into chitosan and cast in the desired shape as a bioplastic. Greiner made a glasses frame using this method. “Children tend to break their glasses sooner or later, or they grow bigger, or their diopter number soon changes – so they get through their glasses quite quickly,” he explains. His design would allow customers to try out different frames at their opticians and to take out a glasses subscription. If the frame is too small, or gets broken, it is returned to the opticians and replaced with a new one. The old material is sent back to production. “The chitosan frames can be quickly recycled and reshaped. Recycled chitosan is added to the newly produced chitosan and then ends up in a new frame or in another chitosan-based application. This keeps it in the bioplastic cycle,” Greiner explains. This glasses leasing model is just one of many potential cycles. Greiner is convinced that “chitosan’s innumerable properties mean that many other collaborative projects are possible,” citing water purification firms, textile companies, chemists and pharmacies as potential partners. For him, raising chitosan’s profile is key. “Chitosan also has potential for use in medicine or as a wound treatment cream, is biodegradable and decomposes in soil,” he goes on to say. The aim of his experiments in the BioLab was to prove that this type of project really is feasible. “The research lab is the ideal place for this kind of work. We are working on lots of pioneering projects,” says Prof. Gast.

Awesome algae: experiment kits for sustainable education

Another creative project is also harnessing the power of experiments to pave the way for the future of the bioeconomy by teaching the younger generation all about the uses of algae. Industrial designer Lara Rockenstein, who has a master’s degree from the University of Magdeburg, has developed an algae experiment kit together with Roquette algae farm in Klötze and the educationalist Christian Bass. The kit comes in twelve versions and encourages children to learn about topics such as photosynthesis through stirring, mixing and exploring.  Roquette Managing Director Jörg Ullmann is now hoping to find a potential partner to take over the production of the glass kits, which include instructions, samples and a pump designed in-house. “It would be fantastic if children could soon be learning about algae and understand how it grows, what impact it has, how it affects water, and how it can be used in the food industry,” says Ullmann.

Author: Manuela Bock/IMG Sachsen-Anhalt

Photo: madeLocal glasses frame chitosan prototype ©Max Greiner

Biorefinery Concepts for Microalgae

Small But Effective

Intensive research is being carried out in Saxony-Anhalt into biorefinery concepts for microalgae

Scientist Laura König-Mattern from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg may soon be playing a prominent role in the chemical and bioeconomy sector, one of Saxony-Anhalt’s five designated leading markets. She is working on a biorefinery concept for breaking down microalgae into its basic building blocks, which can then be used to make a wide range of active biomaterials with huge potential.

According to König-Mattern, the term macroalgae refers to the seaweed that you find in the sea, which has proper leaves. “Microalgae, on the other hand, are monocellular and only a few micrometers in size.” At the Max Planck Institute, the microalgae are cultivated and reared in small flasks. They are also grown in a 28-liter large reactor when König-Mattern needs larger quantities of biomass for her experiments.

Making the most of biomass

During cultivation, the cell density of the microalgae in the culture medium constantly increases. They are initially light-colored, but turn dark brown by the end of the process. When they have reached this point, the cells are stationary, meaning they have stopped reproducing and can be harvested. Over several stages, the cell paste and its valuable contents are separated from the culture medium. Methods used thus far involve drying the algae, but this requires a lot of energy. König-Mattern has a different approach: she is researching suitable solvents for extracting the target molecules from the wet biomass. “My biorefinery processes really makes the most of the biomass, rather than using just a few parts of it,” she explains. König-Mattern uses computer-based quantum mechanical calculations to screen a large data set of solvents in order to find the right solvent for each molecule. This makes the experiments quicker and simpler. “A lot depends on the separation stages,” she says. “That’s why research in this area is so important. Green solvents are cost-effective and have a low environmental impact.”

Separating the biomass into its basic building blocks of protein, carbohydrates, fats and pigments enables König-Mattern to obtain an entire range of active biomaterials from the algae. “We want to make optimum use of the biomass, rather than extracting only one target product from the cells,” she says. These substances are still fairly niche, but their potential is huge. The deep-red pigment fucoxanthin, for example, is used as a natural colorant. Lipids can be converted into biodiesel. Polyunsaturated fatty acids from microalgae are a sustainable alternative to fish oil capsules.

Laminarin, which is found in the carbohydrate fraction, can be used as a natural pesticide. Lots of microalgae also produce essential amino acids in quantities that can otherwise generally only be found in meat.

Support from the state for leading clusters

“The market-ready stage is still a long way off,” says König-Mattern. She studied biosystems engineering, systems engineering and cybernetic engineering at the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg and has been researching suitable solvents for biorefineries at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg for her PhD since September 2019. She has been awarded a grant to help fund her research from the Christiane Nüsslein Volhard Foundation, which promotes science and research. This funding, together with the excellent research environment in Saxony-Anhalt with its many universities and institutes, have supported her work. “Saxony-Anhalt is home to first-class researchers and a fantastic research infrastructure with an international focus,” she says. The department at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg where König-Mattern researches collaborates with other research institutes such as the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes in Leuna, but also works with industry partners such as Roquette in Klötze. The department also has strong international ties and is working with Swiss scientists on research into how lignin, which is found in wood, can be converted into chemical substances.

Saxony-Anhalt boasts a large network of institutions, companies and research institutes that specialize in the bioeconomy; the leading BioEconomy cluster alone has 75 partners. In addition to funding from the German government, BioEconomy has been receiving financial support from the state of Saxony-Anhalt since 2013. In mid-2017, this support was extended to 2026.

Author: Anja Falgowski/IMG Saxony-Anhalt

Photo: Laura König-Mattern in the pilot plant ©Max-Planck-Institut Magdeburg / Anne Christin Reichelt 

BioEconomy HUB

From a coal-mining area to a model region for the bioeconomy:

Saxony-Anhalt offers significant potential for value chains based on renewable resources

The coal-mining region of central Germany is reinventing itself. It is moving away from its 150-year-old image as an important supplier of brown coal to become a new model region for the bioeconomy. Research institutions and businesses are paving the way for this new development and playing a pioneering role in a fertile area for innovation with the support of funding from the Structural Reinforcement Act.

“We think that the region has considerable potential for the development of a future bioeconomy,” says Gerd Unkelbach, director of the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna. He believes that because of its many links to other industries, such as agriculture, forestry, food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, central Germany with Saxony-Anhalt at its heart could develop an efficient circular economy that is heavily based on renewable resources. Together with the bioeconomy cluster in Halle (Saale), the CBP is planning a bioeconomy hub in the form of a technology and service center to support young companies and start-ups in the bioeconomy. “We can help them to turn their business ideas into marketable products. Also we will provide a production infrastructure including offices, laboratory facilities and industrial machinery,” says Unkelbach and highlights the fact that Leuna offers the ideal conditions. In Germany’s second largest chemical park, around 100 companies, which have close links with one another, manufacture products ranging from basic chemicals to high-performance plastics.

The bioeconomy hub connects new value chains

“In Leuna in particular there are considerable potential synergies for the bioeconomy, including the use of waste products from the forestry and agriculture industries,” adds Matthias Zscheile, managing director of BioEconomy Cluster Management GmbH. “For example, the Finnish paper company UPM is building a biorefinery in the park where biochemicals will be produced from hardwood. And Linde, the manufacturer of industrial gases, is constructing the world’s largest PEM electrolysis plant here to manufacture green hydrogen.” In addition, the bioeconomy hub lies at the heart of a regional research landscape that promotes the transfer of knowledge from basic research to practical applications. Examples include the Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, the Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology and Landscape Development at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (UAS) and the engineering courses at Merseburg UAS. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) is carrying out research into composites and substances made from renewable raw materials. It is a key partner in the Hydrogen Power Storage & Solutions East Germany consortium, also known as HYPOS, which is developing important technologies for generating and storing green hydrogen.

According to Zscheile, the bioeconomy hub will in the future create more effective links between all the players in the new value chains and make the region more attractive, in particular for companies planning to move there.

The innovation hub for “Future Wood and Climate” replaces coal

The district of Mansfeld-Südharz has been particularly hard hit by the phase-out of coal. However, forestry and the timber industry have traditionally been important parts of the area’s economy. “We need to modernize these industries,” says Matthias Zscheile, the bioeconomy cluster manager, and explains that an innovation hub for “Future Wood and Climate” will be created here. The Saxony-Anhalt Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture and Energy is supporting the center of excellence and research with money from the European Structural and Investment Fund. Ideas for new areas of business are being developed here with the involvement of regional supply companies. One example given by Zscheile is a modular system for modern industrial timber construction made from local raw materials. The goal is to manufacture products on a large scale for customers in areas that are easily accessible, for example Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Magdeburg and Hanover. Zscheile explains that the project will create skilled engineering and manual jobs and also develop training modules for employees working in this field.

The central German algae center – an important feature of the bioeconomy

Algae may be very small but they offer considerable potential for the future. In Saxony-Anhalt, world-class research is being carried out in this area. “We want to develop active substances for use in food, medicine and cosmetics and also produce sustainable fuels from these versatile organisms,” says algae expert Carola Griehl, professor of biochemistry at Anhalt UAS in Köthen, describing a constantly growing value chain. The Competence Center for Algal Biotechnology at Anhalt UAS has been running applied research projects in this field for 20 years. At the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna the laboratory processes are being scaled up to an industrial level. The Biosolar Center in Köthen, based on cooperation between Anhalt UAS and GICON GmbH from Dresden, is improving the technologies and photobioreactors used for the industrial production of the active substances.

The newest link in the chain is the Center for Natural Product-Based Therapeutics (ZNT), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, the ZNT is researching into the active substances in algae that can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases and is developing them into marketable products.

Carola Griehl explains that the algae network is growing. One important partner in the network is Roquette Klötze GmbH & Co. KG, a company based in the Altmark region. Its industrial photobioreactor plant is producing algae in glass tubes with a total length of 500 kilometers.

Other partners from the worlds of research and industry are planning to come together in a central German algae center. The center aims to establish a bio-based industrial cluster working with algae that will function as an important component of the bioeconomy in Saxony-Anhalt.

Picture: Active ingredient isolation ©Kompetenzzentrum Algenbiotechnologie

Author: Kathrain Graubaum/IMG Saxony-Anhalt

Sustainable Transformation

Researchers from Magdeburg analyze the conditions needed for the bioeconomy

As part of a wide-ranging study that began in 2017, political scientists from the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the University of Hagen have identified the political processes that could lead to a biobased national economy. The final report from the joint “Bio-Ökopoli” project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, will be published in October.

The theme of the German Science Year 2020/21 is the bioeconomy and global challenges. Against this background, Prof. Dr. Michael Böcher from the Institute of Social Sciences in Magdeburg discusses in this interview the challenges that result from political conflicts, for example between economic interests and environmental concerns. However, he is also encouraging everyone to exploit the potential of the bioeconomy.

You have investigated the management of regional and European bioeconomic processes. What do you think the ideal bioeconomy policy should look like?

Prof. Dr. Michael Böcher: The ideal bioeconomy policy should aim to find the right balance between the different considerations and should lead to the bioeconomy being exploited in the best possible way. We do not want a bioeconomy at any price. It is important to take sustainability factors into account. The bioeconomy must not put biodiversity and the natural environment at greater risk.

When you talk about a lack of social, political and economic processes and compromises, are you working on the basis that the bioeconomy is essential?

Outsiders might perhaps get the impression that we are calling the bioeconomy into question, but exactly the opposite is true. I believe that the bioeconomy can make a major contribution to more resource-efficient production methods that will have a positive impact on climate change, for example. Certain processes offer a great deal of potential for innovation. In the bioeconomy there are some absolutely fascinating technological processes that can help us to do business in a more sustainable way. But there are also limits and conflicts over land use, protecting the environment and the interests of consumers. In our analyses and research we highlight the fact that the political conditions must be right in order to make industry future-proof.

What do you think are the key conflicts involved in achieving our bioeconomic goals?

There is significant potential for conflict over the issue of where the biomass should come from if we intend to convert our economy, including all the areas of each individual value-added chain, to sustainable raw materials. To produce large volumes of biomass we need large amounts of arable land. However, monocultures do not support biodiversity and result in conflicts with agricultural production and the protection of the natural environment. A number of different interests are involved, and there is only a limited amount of land. Unfortunately, one current way out of this problem is often to import biomass, which means shifting the conflict to other countries. Given the growing shortage of resources and agricultural land, the rising global population, climate change and the loss of species – the global challenges – this is not an acceptable solution. The bioeconomy must be more than simply regional and national. It must always be considered from the perspective of its supra-regional and global consequences.

How could individual areas of the economy be transformed quickly and reasonably?

The government needs to set priorities. One example is the discussion about bioenergy. There has been a lot of hype about generating as much bioenergy as possible from wood. Then the industry began to make itself heard. The manufacturers wanted to produce high-quality products from the good timber rather than burning it to generate energy. The result of this conflict has been the approval of the cascade use of wood. Energy will be generated from waste products that would not be used in the production process. It is simply a case of making sure that we have discussions of this kind.

One of the intended results of your study was to set up university courses that would raise awareness of political and social conflicts within the bioeconomy. What has happened about this?

We have worked with the University of Hagen, which is a distance-learning institution, to develop an online seminar on bioeconomy policies. This has been available there and at Magdeburg University since the start of the current summer semester, despite the fact that Magdeburg is a brick-and-mortar university. When the coronavirus pandemic began, we had luckily chosen just the right teaching format and were able to use the seminar. We made the students aware that the bioeconomy involves many different policy areas. Bioeconomy policy has interfaces with agricultural, economic, technology, climate, environmental and conservation policy and also with consumer protection.

Do you think Saxony-Anhalt can offer the right conditions for establishing a sustainable bioeconomy?

The bioeconomy is important for Saxony-Anhalt, and the research landscape here is in a very strong position. I am highly in favor of setting up a federally and state-funded bioeconomy cluster here. One important indicator is the state government’s regional innovation strategy, which clearly states that the chemical industry and the bioeconomy are among the key markets in the region. A significant future consideration is that on July 3 the Bundestag and Bundesrat, the lower and upper houses of the German parliament, passed the acts on the phase-out of coal and on the structural reinforcement of the regions affected by the phase-out of coal. One of the most important projects in Saxony-Anhalt is the creation of a bioeconomy hub as a center for sustainable chemical production in central Germany. Regional structural funding for the phase-out of coal will be invested in measures to bring together research institutes and large and small companies around the cluster and the hub. This is an important means of future-proofing the economy of Saxony-Anhalt. Innovation is an essential part of economic development. If we invest in innovation areas of this kind in Saxony-Anhalt, this may well encourage other companies to move to the area and create jobs.

The European Green Deal is also currently under discussion. What is your view of this?

The EU Green Deal is very welcome because it makes it clear that Europe will be the first continent to become climate neutral. However, we need to wait and see how it will be implemented by the individual member states. I find it remarkable that the European Commission has launched its Green Deal, with actions to combat climate change and protect the environment, at precisely the moment when structural measures are being taken to counteract the negative effects of the pandemic. The economic support needed as a result of the pandemic is not being played off against climate protection. Instead it is being clearly stated that we need the Green Deal precisely because of the pandemic. It is obvious that we do not want economic support of this kind to be provided at the cost of the environment. We should be combining it with measures to combat climate change.

Author: Manuela Bock/IMG Saxony-Anhalt

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Researching the Future

From antibiotic resistances to flavor modifiers

Research institutes and companies are working on application solutions for industry, medicine and agriculture

“The concept for the development of new active ingredients and ultimately new medication is that these substances interact with a biomolecule, usually a protein or an enzyme, and this results in an effect that can be used therapeutically,” says Professor Dieter Schinzer from the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg in Saxony Anhalt, Germany. At the Institute for Chemistry, the Chemistry Professor Dieter Schinzer is looking into the synthesis of natural substances and active ingredients and their interactions with biomolecules.

Antibiotic resistances as a challenge

In a collaboration involving the Institute for Chemistry at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) and a pharmaceutical company, it is currently being attempted to develop a new broad-spectrum antibiotic based on natural substances. The background is the dilemma of antibiotic resistances and increasing numbers of gram-negative bacteria emerging, for example multi-resistant “hospital germs”. “We are developing a flexible synthesis to optimize existing biotechnological processes and therefore devise a substance that specifically acts against gram-negative bacteria,” says Professor Schinzer.

International collaborations in the research field of immunocology

The development of a dual active ingredient against cancer is an important field of work in immunocology . The dual active ingredient attacks cancer cells on the one hand, just like chemotherapy, but also has an immune stimulating effect with which the body’s own defence system is used on the other hand. The focus of the current research is to mobilize the immune system to generate long-lasting success and it has developed into an important new hope in cancer research. The project is based on an international collaboration with cell biologists from Norway, the University of Siena and EHT Zurich.

Biocatalytic production of flavor modifiers

The Leibniz Institute of Plant Chemistry (IPB) is busy researching the development of active ingredients, biocatalysts and processes to produce and optimize them. The focus is on analyzing natural plant substances, their biological significance and examining the molecular mechanisms on which these interactions are based. A library of more than 15,000 own natural substances, derivatives and extracts and over 5,000 organism samples and pathogens that are used for the development of pharmaceuticals and plant protection products or in the F&F field serves as the basis.

The team led by Professor Ludger Wessjohann is currently researching flavorings and flavor modifiers, among other things. “We have developed a process with which we can biotechnologically produce substances that mask bitter flavors or enhance sweet flavors. We use the easy to extract raw material naringenin from lemon peel for this and convert it into the active ingredient Homoeriodictyol (HED) using biotechnological processes,” says Professor Wessjohann, Managing Director of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry. HED is a natural product that acts as a bitter blocker without influencing the flavor itself. As it is not readily available in nature and therefore expensive on the market, biotechnological production is of advantage. “We have developed both an in-vitro process where enzymes take over the conversion in an enzyme cascade and a process where we have put enzymes into an organism that eats the waste product naringenin and converts it into the flavor modulator HED,” he adds. The flavor modulator is then used in the pharmaceutical and food industry, among others.

Successful multiplication of Zika viruses

At the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, the Bioprocess Engineering research group is concentrating on one important aspect of red biotechnology: the production of virus vaccines. One key topic there is the Zika virus. There is currently no vaccination against the Zika virus available. If an effective vaccine is developed one day, it will be necessary to be able to produce it on a large scale quickly. To enable this, the viruses must first be propagated in living cells,  from which live attenuated or inactivated virus particles can then be obtained for use as a vaccine. Working in cooperation with a team of researchers from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, researchers in Magdeburg have now for the first time succeeded in producing large quantities of Zika viruses in the laboratory – a crucial prerequisite for the initiation of immunological studies, the development of diagnostic tools, and the production of vaccines.

Further development of the Genebank – the BRIDGE Warehouse makes access to important research bases easier

The focus at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben is currently on the BRIDGE project. A database interface is being developed under the title “BRIDGE: Biodiversity informatics to bridge the gap from genome information to educated utilization of genetic diversity hosted in Genebanks”. The Federal ex-situ Genebank based at the IPK is to be further developed into an integrated resource center with this. The planned BRIDGE Data Warehouse will link genotype and phenotype information to the individual crop plant samples in the Genebank thus enhancing the scientific and practical value of the collection. For example, there are roughly 25,000 barley seed samples collected and kept in the IPK Gatersleben Genebank at the moment. Until now though the availability of additional information on the collections has been poor and the selection of suitable samples for specific research and breeding projects has therefore been associated with a great deal of time and expense. The entire IPK barley collection is being characterized with the help of genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to mainly support the quality, efficiency and viability of maintenance management. Making access to this data easier allows for it to be used along the entire value chain. The project is being supported by a close collaboration with the Leibniz ScienceCampus “Plant-Based Bioeconomy” in Halle and promotes the education of young science talent in the field of biodiversity genomics.

BioPharmaPark Dessau

Synergies as a breeding ground for worldwide successful pharmaceuticals expertise

At BioPharmaPark Dessau cook books are written for vaccinations and pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical companies are located at BioPharmaPark Dessau, which not only benefit from the special infrastructure and the service network on location. Due to the immediate vicinity to each other, synergies arise in pharmaceutical production and packaging, in quality control and compliance, and also in research and development. The operator of the park is IDT Biologika, a company with almost 100 years of pharmaceutical tradition in Dessau.

“Earlier, our photographer flew over the premises in a helicopter. Now he lets drones fly over”, says Peter Kellner and shows the latest photos with a view of the 120 hectare BioPharmaPark Dessau in Saxony Anhalt – located 90 kilometres south of Berlin, and 60 kilometres north of Leipzig. Peter Kellner is the spokesman of the company, that develops and produces the biotechnologically manufactured vaccinations and pharmaceuticals to keep people and animals healthy.

Even almost 100 years ago, human and veterinary medicine vaccinations were developed here, including for tetanus, erysipelas and diphtheria. IDT Biologika emerged from the former vaccination factory Dessau-Tornau. Currently, the company is focussing on the various problematic situations in the countries of the world, and finding appropriate solutions. IDT Biologika is increasingly finding its niche in the global market, with the development of its own products, primarily in the area of animal health; for example with a vaccination against oedema disease in piglets.

“Cook books” for vaccinations and pharmaceuticals

“Our key competences include writing cook books”, says Peter Kellner. This means: IDT Biologika develops the technology to manufacture bacterial and viral vaccinations, on behalf of international companies. 

“At the customer’s request, in addition to the development of active ingredients, we also take on their manufacture, and are therefore one of the few worldwide, that can do this”, says Kellner, and refers to the whole added value chain, that the company covers; this includes an in-house high speed bottling line and an infrastructure, which allows a production and transport chain up to -80°C. In 2016, IDT Biologika made turnover of around €190 million. Since the privatisation in 1993, the company has invested around €300 million in the Dessau site.

ONCOTEC Pharma benefits from the existing infrastructure

“Pressurised air and steam and water in pharmaceutical quality – pharmaceutical companies don't have to take care of such provisions themselves, at BioPharmaPark Dessau. The infrastructure of the area has been well adapted for us”, says Christin Richter, Manager of the Business Development at ONCOTEC Pharma Produktion GmbH. The worldwide active company produces aseptic liquid cytostatic drugs, i.e. sterile injection solutions in bottles or ready-to-fill syringes. In addition, it has systems, which freeze dry the bottle liquid for preservation. In this special area, ONCOTEC offers the whole added value chain from development to market launch, right up to production including inspection and analysis.

The company started in Dessau in 1997, with a bottling and syringe filling line. 20 years of growth and investment of over €43 million so far into buildings, machines and systems followed. A robotically controlled bottling line is currently being built. At the end of 2018, “line 5” should be put into operation, and bottle special products like highly effective antibody active ingredient conjugates (ADC) for chemotherapy. “With this investment, we expand our technological requirements, to further extend the production of highly innovative special products”, says Christin Richter.

Since the Bacteriological Institute was founded in Dessau in 1921, vaccinations have been researched and developed here in the region. “Dr. Felgenträger & Co. Öko.-chem. und Pharma“ GmbH is in the tradition of the location. Former employees of the research institute for vaccinations Dessau brought the manufacture and use of livestock specific vaccinations and individually manufactured auto vaccines for all species of pets, into the company founded in 1990 as business fields. “Dr. Felgenträger & Co.“ thereby serves niches, that arise due to gaps in the range, or problems with the efficacy of commercially available vaccinations. “We work closely with practitioners: with farm vets, diagnostic laboratories, investigation offices and institutes”, says Managing Director Hartmut Appl, and highlights consulting as one of the key competences of the company. In addition, various pharmaceutical active ingredients are manufactured for human medicine, for example to treat hypercholesterolemia or hyperkalaemia.

Merz on an expansion course with dermafillers

Diggers and bulldozers on the premises are a testament to building activities by the Merz Group. In 2018, their new production site for the manufacture of dermafillers should go into operation, here at BioPharmaPark. “We will hire more natural scientists, engineers, pharmacists and chemists”, says Site Manager Michael Pfeil. The pharmaceutical company based in Frankfurt am Main, founded a further site here in 2002, due to the collaboration with IDT Biologika. “We find the right knowledge and specialist experience here”, says Michael Pfeil.

After building up a production site to manufacture the active ingredient Botulinum-Neurotoxin, Merz invested a further €18 million in the Dessau site, for a state of the art aseptic production site for the manufacture of self-produced pharmaceutical “Xeomin”. It is used for the treatment of spasmodic illnesses. Since 2011, it has been approved for the American market, and is sold as a Merz own medication there. “A further use of Botulinum-Toxin is skin smoothing”, says Michael Pfeil, and that his company also uses this active ingredient in beauty products. Merz has invested €15 million in the new production site for the manufacture of dermafillers.

Like the other companies in the BioPharmaPark, Merz values the immediate proximity to science and the universities in Halle, Leipzig und Berlin. The company has its own research and development department.

IDT spokesman Peter Kellner talks about the transfer and exchange of pharmaceutical expertise: “Thereby, we companies put ourselves in a position to perform in a way that others can't.” Christin Richter from ONCOTEC confirmed: “We use the synergies and cooperations on site, to be able to adjust our products to the high standards of the customer in future, quickly and flexibly.”

Green Gate Gatersleben®

Fighting hunger in the laboratory and in the field

At the “Green Gate Gatersleben® – The Plant Biotech Center”, they are working on solutions to ensure nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

The wheat is growing well! But why? Why does barley provide so little yield? The employees of the Biotech-Campus in Gatersleben dedicate themselves to such questions. Here, in Saxony Anhalt, in the middle of Germany and on the best soil in the country, institutes and companies have set up, where researchers want to ensure the nutrition of the growing global population and promote the development of sustainable agriculture.

With 500 employees from more than 30 countries, the Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK) [Leibniz-Institute for plant genetics and crop plant research] takes up the biggest area of the campus, and has the longest history. Founded in 1943 as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Kulturpflanzenforschung [Emperor Wilhelm Institute for crop plant research] near Vienna, it moved to Gatersleben due to the Second World War. Since 1997, it has been part of the Leibniz association acting Germany-wide, under whose roof more than 90 institutions research in a knowledge and application oriented manner.

Gatersleben is a location with tradition, indeed the region is seen as the cradle of German crop cultivation. Since the mid 19th Century, intensive crop cultivation has been carried out here, primarily due to the dry climate and excellent soil which is beneficial for cultivation. The IPK, which houses the nationwide ex situ gene bank for agricultural and horticultural crop plants, is therefore in an ideal environment for its maintenance and research work around the topic of “biodiversity and performance of crop plants”. It is managed by Professor Dr. Andreas Graner and Dr. Johannes Heilmann.

IPK: Gene bank for crop plants

In four departments and additional independent scientific work groups, the researchers penetrate ever deeper into the principles of evolution. They discover how our crop plants adjust to their environment. On this basis, they develop innovative approaches, to help the crop growers and farmers worldwide, to increase the yields even under the conditions of climate change, and manage them more sustainably. For this, they use, maintain and increase a treasure trove, with one of the oldest and biggest ex-situ gene banks. Together with the interdisciplinary and internationally compiled research groups, and a state of the art research infrastructure, it is a unique selling point of the institute. “In a region characterised by agriculture, crop growing and research, the IPK combines scientific excellence, innovation and social relevance, to develop solution approaches to ensure nutrition and sustainable agriculture”, says Professor Andreas Graner as Managing Director proudly.

The employees of the IPK are looking for new findings and technologies to use plant genetic resources. In doing so, they are falling back on the genetic diversity of the crop plants. The research focuses include basic principles such as the formation of new species and cultural forms, as well as the explanation of how the genes influence their characteristics. Their findings help to control resistances and stress tolerance, and so increase agricultural yields.

All of this is possible due to the collaboration with the companies on the Biotech-Campus. Under the umbrella brand ”Green Gate Gatersleben® – The Plant Biotech Center“, all the companies and institutions for plant biotechnology located in Gatersleben and the regional public authority establish joint activities. Potential company relocations and refoundings benefit from the intensive specialist exchange of the partners, and the rental of laboratories, greenhouses, and office spaces by the Biotech centre and the Biotechpark in Gatersleben. In addition, companies combine their interests in the association InnoPlanta.

TraitGenetics: Genetic markers help with seed analysis

With its own technology transfer centre, the IPK ensures that its findings are made available for the good of society and the benefit of the economy. It also supports and accompanies spin-off companies. Currently, two economically successful spin-off companies are working on the Biotech campus in Gatersleben – in the form of TraitGenetics GmbH and IT-Breeding GmbH.

With around 20 employees, TraitGenetics is a small but sought after company, which has analysed seeds for plant growers all over the world, since 2001. Operations of all sizes send their samples to Gatersleben, and are sent the requested data. “We develop genetic markers, with which we can achieve quick and precise analysis results”, says company founder Dr. Martin Ganal. His company has already undergone several innovation cycles. With quick reactions to the requirements of the market, TraitGenetics has proven its quality again and again for customers from Europe, Canada, the USA and Mexico, Brazil, India or Thailand. In doing so, the company has also benefited from cooperations on site and in the region, as well as from qualified experts on site.

Bayer AG: Wheat growing station on the best soil

Advantages – apart from the long tradition of crop growing, the climatic conditions, the excellent agricultural environment in practice and research – which allowed Bayer AG to settle in Gatersleben 5 years ago, and then invest €15 million into the location. To start with, 6 employees worked in rented laboratories, now there are 21 in their own buildings. “Due to the natural conditions and the historical development, Saxony Anhalt is one of the best regions for crop growing in Germany”, says Elmar Alfons Weißmann, Manager of the European wheat growing station of Bayer in Gatersleben, getting straight to the point. His employees develop new wheat varieties, which are sold to farmers. It is planned to open a further department, which will be dedicated to rapeseed. There are also plans to expand Gatersleben into a Hypercare farm. On the Hypercare farms of Bayer, scientists use precise monitoring instruments to find out how plants develop. The results should help to improve plant varieties and achieve higher yields. Hypercare farms are already in operation in France, Texas and Minnesota.

Orgentis Chemicals: Tailor made biochemicals between test tube and large scale production

As a manufacturer and provider of special chemicals for biochemistry and high-tech applications, Dr. Hans-Matthias Vorbrodt founded Orgentis Chemicals more than 20 years ago, in the former sugar factory in Gatersleben. The location with short distances to universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutes in Göttingen, Braunschweig, Magdeburg, Halle and Leipzig, and the proximity to other researchers was also important to him. In this way, unique opportunities for cooperation and employee recruitment arise. 16 employees research processes to manufacture substances, on behalf of the customer. Whereby, the assignment often means that Orgentis first has to find the optimal path to get to the desired objective. In addition, the company develops synthesis processes, isolates and modifies natural substances, finds paths to enlarge laboratory processes on a technology centre scale. “We are a company that works on the volume between test tube and large scale production”, says Dr. Hans-Matthias Vorbrodt. He supplies companies in the life science industry, medical technology, electronics, diagnostics companies and research institutions.

The atmosphere which makes Gatersleben stand out is unique, where companies are welcomed and supported. Scientists and entrepreneurs unanimously point out: There is a great openness for building up the science and production location, and a real welcoming culture towards companies.

Proteins from Rapeseed

Harnessing the power of nature

Innovative process developed for the production of proteins from rapeseed

Rapeseed contains two main storage proteins: an albumin in the form of napine and a globulin in the form of cruciferin. These are very different in structure, nutritional physiology and techno-functional properties and are therefore suitable for various areas of application. Currently, rapeseed proteins are only used in animal feed, as previous processes for the production of rapeseed proteins have not been implemented on an industrial scale. They are also designed to produce canola proteins as a concentrate or isolate, which always contain both proteins. Separation and use of the individual proteins was previously not possible.

The team of Pilot Pflanzenöltechnologie Magdeburg e.V. in cooperation with Axara Consulting has developed a new process with which high-purity canola protein fractions can be obtained and separated. For the first time it is possible to isolate Napin with a purity of 98 percent and Cruciferin with a purity of 95 percent. The fractionated canola proteins are of particular interest for the food industry, biochemistry, pharmacy and cosmetics. In addition, the Napin could replace animal albumins in various applications in the future.

The project won first place in the special category Bioeconomics of the Hugo Junker Prize for Research and Innovation from Saxony-Anhalt in 2015.

Plant-based Production

A Completely new ways in plant-based active ingredient production

How to build tiny factories into plants

Synthetic biology is the recombination of different building blocks of life to create biological systems that do not exist in nature. Molecules, cells and organisms with new properties are wrapped up for this purpose. The project of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry is about a completely new biosynthetic method that makes it possible to build small, molecular factories in individual plant cells. These micro factories are set up "at the touch of a button" to produce biotechnologically or therapeutically relevant molecules during the normal growth of plants.

The team of the junior research group uses complete plants or leaf hairs, as known from nettles and geraniums, to carry out the biosynthesis of protein molecules and chemical substances. Such leaf hairs are known for their high metabolic activity and formation of bioactive substances - perfect micro factories. A novel formula based on the enrichment of proteins enables the targeted control of their activity and function as well as the formation of the mentioned micro factories as individual plant cells. In the future, this innovative application could lead to improved "nature-identical" production of active ingredients in plants and allow biosyntheses that are too complicated for chemical synthesis laboratories. The aim is to advance biobased production of pharmaceuticals and industrial raw materials within the framework of molecular farming in plants.

The project won third place in the special category Bioeconomics of the Hugo Junker Prize for Research and Innovation from Saxony-Anhalt in 2015.