Fraunhofer IME Scientists present results from varying research projects at the 23rd SETAC Europe Meeting from 12. - 16. May in Glasgow, Scottland

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The main path of entry of veterinary pharmaceuticals into the environment is via agricultural areas where liquid manure is used as a fertilizer. Realistic exposure assessments must therefore take into account the transformation of active pharmaceutical ingredients during manure storage. Fraunhofer IME is currently involved in several projects investigating the respective test procedures. Within this scope, the joint project partners (the ECT Oekotoxicologie GmbH, the University of Gießen and Fraunhofer IME, sponsored by the German Federal Environment Agency) are currently searching for laboratories to participate in an international ring test that aims to develop an OECD test guideline on the transformation of veterinary pharmaceuticals in manure.

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Berlin hosts the interactive exhibition WASsERLEBEN open for students and interested citizens, accompanying to the international tradeshow and congress WASSER BERLIN on April 23-26, 2013. Our experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology will demonstrate at the booth of the Federal Environment Agency how they work for the specimen bank.

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The publication by K. Schlich, K. Terytze, K. and K. Hund-Rinke: Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles in the earthworm reproduction test was identified by "Environment Progress" as being of special interest to the progress in the Environmental Sciences field. Environment Progress alerts the scientific community to breaking journal articles considered to represent the best in Environmental Science research.

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Press Release Dec 20, 2012: Surfaces with photo-catalytic characteristics clean the air off nitrogen oxides and other health-endangering substances. Using a new test procedure, Fraunhofer researchers can find out how the coatings behave during a long-term test. They will introduce the test at the booth of the Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance in Booth 131 / 135 in Hall C2 at the Trade Fair BAU that will take place from 14 – 19 January, 2013, in Munich, Germany.

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The IfA Neustadt has an excellent expertise in ecologically related agricultural research. One major field of activity is the research into special crops as viticulture, orchards and hops. The Division Applied Ecology of Fraunhofer IME, Schmallenberg, has achieved an international reputation in similar research areas with main focus on field crops as well as hazard and risk assessment for chemicals. A high synergy potential by com¬plementary methodology and technology offers optimized market opportunities.

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Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most efficient analytical method for determining the structure of organic substances. The Fraunhofer IME offers a 700 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a 1.7 mm cryoprobe, which is ideal for the high-resolution analysis of small substance quantities (up 10 µg). The NMR suite is supported by a high-resolution OrbitrapTM Hybrid FT mass spectrometer that can determine the chemical formulae of unknown substances to complement the structural data. A LC-SPE unit is used to isolate and concentrate samples, e.g. from environmental simulation experiments.

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As part of the Innovation Union flagship initiative, the European Commission organized the first Innovation Convention which took place December 5th-6th, in Brussels. The EU FP6 project Pharma-Planta, which was coordinated by Fraunhofer IME, was one of only 48 projects invited to the convention, and was selected from more than 450 applications. It was also the only Fraunhofer project at the convention and the only one with a 100% life sciences content. The project ran from February 2004 to October 2011 and was lauded as a great success by representatives of the European Commission at its closing meeting. The project achieved all its goals, including the development of an approved production process for plant-based pharmaceuticals and the completion of the first human clinical trial of a plant-derived monoclonal antibody.

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The EU-funded project Pharma-Planta has succeeded in producing an anti-HIV antibody in plants and has tested it in humans, with a positive result. This antibody could one day become an inexpensive component used to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The "Phase I" clinical trial was launched at the University of Surrey Clinical Research Centre (UK) in June and has just been completed. Further clinical testing will be required to assess the new drug's effectiveness. The Pharma-Planta project has delivered not only a clinical product tested on humans but also a production platform and facility that can be used to produce other protein-based pharmaceuticals.

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