Press Releases and News

Under planned amendments to the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, biogas plants are expected to supply electricity primarily when wind and solar power generation is low and electricity prices are high. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB demonstrates how existing plants can be operated in response to electricity prices using digital technologies. A specially developed data platform makes process data from biogas plants available for forecasts, soft sensors, and AI-supported operational optimization. The approach can also be applied to other process engineering facilities, including wastewater treatment and agricultural irrigation systems.

The Estonian deep-tech startup New Standard Oil has integrated thermal biomass valorisation technologies from the German applied research organisation Fraunhofer into a unified modular platform and launched its first industrial prototype. The goal is to convert currently unused biowaste streams across Europe into valuable renewable products.

How can a respiratory virus be stopped before it spreads throughout the body? In the MucoShield project, Prime Vector Technologies, the NMI Tübingen, and Fraunhofer IGB are developing an intranasal vaccine candidate against human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which causes hundreds of thousands of cases of severe respiratory disease worldwide each year – especially among children, older people, and immunocompromised individuals. The novel approach: A mucoadhesive formulation is designed to activate the immune response directly at the virus’s point of entry – the nasal mucosa.

Industrial drying processes consume large amounts of energy and negatively impact the climate since they burn fossil fuels to heat air. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working with industry partners on a new approach to decarbonize this process: Instead of hot air, they are using superheated steam. Combined with a heat pump and smart controls, their superheated steam drying process saves significant amounts of energy and eliminates the need for natural gas.

Materials science meets climate protection: Thanks to novel membrane adsorbers, CO₂ can be recovered efficiently and cost-effectively from air and exhaust gases. In the SAFE-CO₂ project, several research institutes – coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB – are now pooling their expertise to develop corresponding membrane modules for industry.

Gelatin is a versatile natural material. To tailor its properties specifically to the requirements of various applications in medicine, diagnostics, and cosmetics, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has developed a toolbox for chemical functionalization. With the help of automated processes, the modifications can now be scaled under defined conditions, and reproducible batches of modified gelatin can be produced on a scale ranging from grams to kilograms for customer sampling.

Microorganisms and microalgae can be used to recover valuable metals from electronic waste – in an environmentally friendly, selective manner with potential for industrial application. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB demonstrated this in a study. At IFAT 2026, the leading trade fair for environmental technologies in Munich, IGB will demonstrate how this biological recycling works using a fixed-bed reactor.

The prices of mineral fertilizers are rising. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working on alternative production methods: Researchers have developed various processes and demonstrated them on a pilot scale to recover nutrients from locally available waste streams. Fertilizers ready for immediate use can be obtained from digestion residues, manure, and wastewater, as the institute will show at IFAT in Munich in early May. This circular approach strengthens supply security and protects water bodies and the climate.

Overfertilization in agriculture weakens crops, endangers drinking water quality and harms the soil. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are now developing an alternative fertilizer that is fully biodegradable and only supplies plants with the nutrients they actually need, thus preventing overfertilization.

The processing of crustaceans from the fishing industry, the production of insect protein, and mushroom cultivation generate large quantities of chitin-containing waste. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has established a process chain for chitin processing to create added value from these waste streams. These technologies enable the production of high-purity chitosan, which can be used, among other things, for sustainable coatings. Transparent films made from chitosan are suitable for use as biodegradable single-use packaging and could replace petroleum-based plastics.