German researchers developing wood replacement products from microorganisms

In Germany, a team of researchers from the University of Freiburg and the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM) in Saarbrücken is working on in the DELIVER project to develop wood replacement products from microorganisms. The aim is to create a database of hundreds of materials with a broad range of controllable properties for various applications that can be produced from wood waste.

What sounds like something out of a fantasy world actually works: preliminary research done at the CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies cluster of excellence at the University of Freiburg has already shown that bacteria can be programmed to produce proteins that can in turn be used to produce wood-based materials from wood waste such as sawdust or agricultural residues. The researchers used synthetic biology approaches for this work. The resulting biocomposites are 100 percent natural in origin – i.e. sustainable and recyclable. They also contain biologically harmless degradable adhesives and are materials that can be produced in a controlled manner with the desired properties for various applications.