Producing chemicals in an environmentally friendly and energy-saving way: More yield through nanopores

New membrane process increases the efficiency of enzymes - reaction rate significantly improved

22-Apr-2024 - Flow-through reactors packed with enzymes can produce certain chemicals in a gentle and careful way. However, their performance has so far been limited. A research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and RWTH Aachen University has now been able to increase the yield a thousandfold. Using a ...

Green adhesives made from whey

New process for obtaining valuable ethyl acetate

02-Sep-2022 - In collaboration with TU Dresden, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a process for obtaining valuable, high-purity ethyl acetate from whey. This can be used, for example, to produce environmentally friendly adhesives, thereby replacing conventional ethyl acetate extracted from fossil-based raw ...

Vitamin K prevents cell death

A new function for a long-known molecule

08-Aug-2022 - A team of researchers located at Helmholtz Munich reports on a novel function of vitamin K, which is generally known for its importance in blood clotting. The researchers discovered that the fully reduced form of vitamin K acts as an antioxidant efficiently inhibiting ferroptotic cell death. ...

Merck Invests More Than €440 Million and Expands its Membrane and Filtration Manufacturing in Ireland

“The investment in Cork is the biggest site investment in the history of our Life Science business”

24-May-2022 - Merck is expanding its membrane and filtration manufacturing capabilities in Ireland. The company will invest approximately €440 million to increase membrane manufacturing capacity in Carrigtwohill and to build a new manufacturing facility at Blarney Business Park, both in Cork, Ireland. The ...

Methane-eating bacteria convert greenhouse gas to fuel

State-of-the-art method reveals never-before-seen atomic structures controlling the process

21-Mar-2022 - Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit ...

Newly developed, bioinspired cell delivery vehicles

06-Aug-2021 - A research team headed by chemist Prof Bart Jan Ravoo and biochemist Prof Volker Gerke has designed nanocontainers made of sugar and protein components. These containers are taken up by cells through natural processes and can thereby transport substances that normally cannot penetrate the cell ...

Physicists prove that microplastics can damage cell membranes

04-Aug-2021 - Over 70 million tonnes of microplastics are in the oceans. They are then ingested by marine life and humans through rain and airborne transmission. Two physicists, Jean-Baptiste Fleury of Saarland University and Vladimir Baulin of Tarragona University, have recently discovered that microplastics ...

Better Understanding Membranes

A new class of membranes promises highly interesting applications in material separation, whether in biotechnology or water purification

28-May-2021 - The theoretical understanding of these polymer membranes is, however, still incomplete. Two researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and the University of Göttingen now present a study, published in the renowned science journal Chemical Reviews, that identifies these gaps in knowledge and shows ...

New separation technology for biomolecules

i3 Membrane receives 7 figure sum for development and market launch

26-Jan-2021 - Four investors are financing the further growth of i3 Membrane GmbH. High-tech venture capital investor HTGF from Bonn, Germany, and three private investors are together investing a 7 figure sum in the further development and market launch of new separation technology for biological molecules. ...

Merck Celebrates Topping-Out Ceremony for New Membrane Production Plant

Investment of more than € 140 million creates approximately 55 new jobs

12-Oct-2020 - Merck celebrated the topping-out ceremony for its new membrane production plant in Darmstadt, Germany. With the new facility, the company plans to expand manufacturing of Millipore Express® membranes, which are critical components in Millipore Express® filters and help ensure the sterility of ...