Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME

The core competencies of Fraunhofer IME are structured in two divisions, "Molecular Biotechnology" and "Applied Ecology", on four locations. In Aachen and Münster, we establish demand-optimized plants, animal cells and microorganisms for various industrial applications. At the institute branch "Bioresources" in Giessen, which belongs to the "Molecular Biotechnology" division, a worldwide unique center for the exploitation of bioresources is being established. The division "Applied Ecology" in Schmallenberg concerns iteself with risk evalutation of synthetic and biogenic substances for both environment and consumers. 

In this year's edition of the “Applied Ecology” newsletter, we would like to present our research work on the topic of “soil.”

• Recording the contamination of agricultural land with biocides, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides in Germany
• MetaInvert: Developing Standards for Genetic Methods to include Soil Invertebrates in Monitoring Programs
• BioDive4Soil - How much life is in our soils?
• Portrait: Dr. Sebastian Kühr, head of our junior research group “B-Pol - Bioaccumulation of Polymer Products ”

The EUROPE HORIZON project “BORN - BiObased theRmal-resistaNt food packaging,” involving Fraunhofer IME and Fraunhofer ITEM, has been successfully launched in Pozzuoli, Italy.
Over the next three years, this project will investigate the improved biodegradability and low ecotoxicity of novel sustainable materials.

In the third round of the “GreenEconomy.IN.NRW” innovation competition, the review committee gave the thumbs up to the project "SEASON – Slow Release of Biostimulants from Seed Coatings." Today, the kick-off meeting for the three-year joint project took place at Fraunhofer IME. The project partners are Deutsche Saatveredelung AG and Humintech GmbH. Fraunhofer IME is responsible for coordination.

SEASON is developing novel technology for the targeted, time-delayed release of biostimulants through winter rapeseed seed coating. Winter rapeseed is the most important oilseed crop in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany.

Fraunhofer IME Schmallenberg was represented by Dr. Matthias Teigeler at the Innovate Eco Safety workshop to discuss the applicability of new approach methodologies (NAMs) as a replacement for animal testing.

Unlocking the secrets of flowering in Taraxacum koksaghyz!

A recent study by Känel et al. explores the molecular mechanisms of flowering in the rubber-producing plant T. koksaghyz. The investigation revealed three FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homologs (TkFT1–3) that show different expression patterns under various environmental conditions.
Key findings:
❀ TkFT1 drives vernalization-independent flowering
❀ TkFT3, uniquely induced during cold exposure, is crucial for vernalization-dependent flowering
❀ Overexpression of TkFT1–3 can bypass the vernalization requirement, offering insights for future breeding strategies. 

At the invitation of the MIT-Kreisverband Giessen, a lecture event with around 80 invited guests took place on Friday, August 29, at the Bioresources branch of the Institute in Giessen. The focus was on industrial insect farming in Giessen and the surrounding regio. Under the direction of Prof. Andreas Vilcinskas, participants from politics, research, and industry gained comprehensive insights into the latest developments in insect research at Fraunhofer IME. 

Advancing 3R-compliant aquatic toxicity testing

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a project with the Fraunhofer IME to investigate whether an enhanced Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) test could replace certain long-term fish toxicity studies.