People and events

Together with our colleagues Fabiola Neitzel, Friscasari Gurusinga and Dr. Dorothee Tegtmeier, Institute Branch Head Prof. Andreas Vilcinskas took part in the 5th edition of the "Insects to Feed the World" conference in Singapore from 19 to 22 June 2024. 

This international event brings together researchers and industry professionals from around the world to exchange ideas and the latest advancements in the field of insects for feed and food.

A highlight of the event was Friscasari Gurusinga receiving the award for the best poster.

Anton Windfelder, young scientist in the field of radiology and alternative animal models, was honored with the Young Investigator Award 2024 of the German Radiological Society (DRG). The award ceremony took place during RÖKO Digital, the DRG's annual congress. Anton Windfelder, who works as Junior Research Group Leader for Multimodal Preclinical Imaging at Fraunhofer IME and JLU, impressed the jury with his innovative contributions to experimental medical imaging.

Anton Windfelder uses high-resolution micro-CT imaging to visualize complex anatomical structures in insects such as the tobacco hawkmoth. This research has led to the discovery of new structures in the insect's intestinal tract and provides valuable insights into the digestive system, which has comparable aspects to the human intestine. The findings thus offer relevant insights into new treatment and diagnostic approaches for chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

Every year, the German Radiological Society (DRG) presents the Young Investigator Award to honor outstanding work and congress contributions by young scientists in order to recognize and promote the achievements of young scientists in the field of imaging.

As part of the nationwide campaign of the Federal Agency for Women Founders (BGA), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 52 female entrepreneurs with a university background are being presented - with the aim of giving women more visibility as founders. 

One of the founders featured is Fabiola Neitzel, a doctoral student at the Bioresources Branch in Giessen. She founded the company PROMBYX GmbH, which processes silkworm pupae from silk production into a high-quality source of protein for animal feed. In doing so, she also wants to make a contribution to better use of resources in the protein sector.

Metamorphosis in the classroom: primary school pupils at Sandfeld School in Giessen have now been able to experience real butterflies and their larvae. During the teaching unit “From caterpillar to butterfly”, junior research group leader Dr. Anton Windfelder from the Laboratory for Experimental Radiology at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) and Fraunhofer IME visited the Sandfeld School and enriched the lessons with 3D models, real tobacco hawkmoth larvae and lots of specialist knowledge about butterflies.

As part of their science lessons, second-grade classes at Sandfeldschule regularly carry out a unit on butterflies. Thanks to the breeding sets of the thistle butterfly financed by the Sandfeld School, students can explore these biological processes firsthand. "The children have a lot of fun with the caterpillars and can learn how to treat animals responsibly," says teacher Bettina Reisinger. "They learn what the animals eat and what significance they have for our environment."

When Windfelder heard about the initiative, he was immediately enthusiastic: "I think it's fantastic that the Sandfeld School is committed to environmental education and species conservation. I definitely wanted to support that." His junior research group works with butterflies and investigates how they can be better protected from environmental toxins such as pesticides.

The Fraunhofer IME in Giessen has put a new, customised insect breeding facility into operation. The facility consists of three connected containers and enables the production of insects on a pilot scale. It is used for research into insects as food and feed as well as their processing. The pilot facility will be used directly for projects such as ‘Insect-based sustainable aquaculture’ (InA) as part of the BioBall promotion of urban food production systems and ‘SensInsects’, a project to develop quality grades for insect products. This new facility supports large-scale research work at the Giessen site.

Over the past two days, the joint Fraunhofer IME PhD seminar took place at our Institute Branch for Bioresources in Giessen, where we had the pleasure of welcoming 34 PhD students from our sites in Aachen, Schmallenberg, and Münster. The participants presented and discussed pioneering research on sustainable food innovations, environmental toxicity assessment, novel antimicrobials, and advanced protein production technologies. In the evening, attendees enjoyed the opportunity to network further at a rooftop BBQ. We look back on an inspiring and productive event.

Fraunhofer promotes a working environment in which all employees feel welcome, respected and a sense of belonging. The differences and diversity of all employees should not only be recognized, but actively encouraged.

Our BfC took this year's Diversity Day as an opportunity to organise a community lunch. All participants came together in the large conference room at 12 noon and everyone brought a dish from their home country (region). All in all, this resulted in an exciting mixture that ranged from Hessian to Portuguese and Indonesian. We exchanged ideas and realised once again that our diversity is a great enrichment.

How do dandelions end up in bicycle tires? The white sap of the dandelion contains natural rubber - a raw material from which many different rubber products can be made. However, natural rubber must first be extracted in sufficient quantities. Not all dandelions are suitable for this purpose. In the popular children's program "Die Sendung mit der Maus," host Siham El-Maimouni explored the process from seed to finished tire.

At Fraunhofer IME in Münster, she accompanied our colleagues step by step. In the greenhouse in Münster, she met dandelion researcher Dirk, who provided a fascinating insight into research on dandelions. In the lab, Silva demonstrated how she analyzes genes that are important for rubber production. Denis and Christian presented the dandelion in jars. Siham also visited our cooperation partners: at the plant breeder Eskusa, Fred demonstrated his self-developed "dandelion vacuum", which produces dandelion fluff in the middle of summer. At the Continental plant in Korbach, Germany, Siham observed the production of bicycle tires.

In November 2024, Dr. Jost Muth from the Department of Functional and Applied Genomics accepted an invitation from the Gemeinschaft zur Förderung von Pflanzeninnovation e. V. (GFPi) in Bonn. The GFPi is a non-profit organization that promotes innovation in plant breeding and research by supporting pre-competitive research activities and promoting the transfer of results. With over 60 members covering the entire agricultural and horticultural value chain, the GFPi plays a central role in the industry.

As part of their Annual Assembly, Jost Muth presented the development of molecular tools for potato breeding at the meeting of the Potato Division.
At Fraunhofer IME, we have successfully conducted research and development in the potato breeding for decades. One highlight is the amylose-free potato for the starch industry, which was achieved by inactivating the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of amylose. He also presented the collaborative project “High-throughput Analytics for TILLING-adapted Breeding,” in which an automated genotyping process for tetraploid potatoes was developed.

Our rubber research is currently on display twice at the museum.

Until January 11, 2026, the exhibition "Gene - Vielfalt des Lebens" provides a unique insight into the world of genes with more than 1,200 exhibits on approximately 850 square meters. The special exhibition at the LWL-Museum für Naturkunde in Münster explains interactively and comprehensively what genes are, how they influence the appearance and behavior of all living beings, and how genes can be altered by external influences. In addition to the milestones of genetics, the exhibition also discusses how genes come into contact with everyday life and epigenetic influences. At an interview station, we meet Prof. Dirk Prüfer from Fraunhofer IME, who is working with his team to genetically engineer rubber from dandelions for the production of bicycle tires. They have modified the dandelion to produce sufficient amounts of rubber in the roots. One product - the casing of a bicycle tire made from it - hangs on the wall.

Our dandelion can also be seen in the special exhibition "ZUKÜNFTE. Material and Design of Tomorrow" at the GRASSi Museum for Applied Art in Leipzig. In three chapters, the exhibition seeks answers to the question of the future role of design in society. The third chapter of the exhibition, "Material Lab", presents current research projects at the interface of biology, design, art and industry. Here, materials and products are shown that already exist and represent viable alternatives - such as the rubber from our dandelion. This locally produced raw material is now being used to make bicycle tires that are already on the market. And the tire is well received, as it is almost a work of art in itself, with many features such as small dandelions on the casing.