The novel combined power-to-gas & Biogas upgrading Technology is producing high-purity methane, carbon dioxide and water in a single membrane separation system.

Device and method to coat particles and powdres of any size and shape by magnetron sputtering. Even particles <1 μm can be coated and film thicknesses from 0.1 to 100 nm achieved. Use of metal or compound materials for adhesive, wear resistant, conductive and catalytic coatings.

A new and convenient synthesis method has been developed for coupling a ligand (e.g. PEG, peptides) through a cleavable disulfide linkage to an oligonucleotide at the 2´ position of a ribose ring. The resulting oligonucleotide conjugates are taken up efficiently into cells without the need for a transfection agent, and the 2´ OH group modification has
a positive impact on stability, allowing natural (phosphodiester) oligonucleotide sequences to be used. Preliminary in vitro experiments have demonstrated effective target gene down-regulation.

Novel synthetic lignans to affect inflammatory processes related to surgical cardiovascular intervention have been identified. The compounds may have highly beneficial effects for preparation of cardiac by-pass implants as well as for stent conduits.

Researchers of TUW and MUW have found that cardiomyocyte-like cells may be obtained not only from omnipotent or pluripotent mammalian cells,
but also from lineage committed cells, such as skeletal myoblasts when cultured in the presence of substituted pyridine- and pyrimidine-compounds.

The invention intends to provide coumarin based nickel-dithiolene complexes, to selectively detect mercury (II) ions in the organism. Based on a Ditholen-ligand, molecules have been developed which can be used to determine the presence of heavy metal ions. Design, manufacture and the properties of a system based on a coumarin nickel dithiolene complex are described, which operates in the wavelength range of ~960 nm with high selectivity and sensitivity for mercury ions even in the presence of other metal ions (eg. Ag+, Al3+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Na+, Sn2+) that can be used in a simple UV / VIS spectroscopy.

The novelty of the present invention is to prevent the disturbance of encryption systems and thus lead to better data se-curity. In addition it is aimed at users who have little or no background knowledge. The inventive approach to security is based on the combination of an LCD display and the encryption method “One Time Pad”. This results in the advantage that on the user side, the compromised device (PC, smartphone, etc.) only sees the encrypted information itself. At this time the decryption takes place at a sec-ondary LCD display, which is separated with the decoding key from the actual device. Thus, none of the decoded mes-sage transmission takes place on an in-fected device (by spyware or malware), enabling secure transfer of information in spite of monitored devices and commu-nication channels.

Cachexia related to cancer, occurs in 30-70% of cancer patients and still represents an as-yet non-curable and fatal paraneoplastic syndrome in a variety of tumor entities. The present invention discloses a new method for preventing cancer cachexia based on preventing inhibition of the protein AMPK.

6% of all prostate cancer patients die due to their illness. However, 80% of all prostate cancer patients do not need therapy, since their cancers grow slowly. Since the mainly used marker (prostate-specific antigen, PSA) is also elevated in case of inflammatory processes or with benign prostatic hyperplasia, DKFZ inventors analysed serum samples and identified miRNA-375 and miRNA-141 as new biomarkers for high-risk tumors.

DKFZ researchers identified nuclear receptor tailles (Tlx) as a valuable drug target for brain tumors especially gliobastomas. In vivo experiments showed almost doubling in survival time of mice harbouring brain tumors by inhibiting the expression of Tlx in tumor cells. In addition a highly significant correlation between expression of Tlx in brain tumor cells and survival of the patient was demonstrated.

Biotechnological expression of highly active proteins or small chemical compounds of pharmaceutical relevance is often difficult. Many proteins or molecules of interest (POIs/MOIs) have cytotoxic side effects and interfere with the host’s metabolism. The invention provides a versatile tool – based on a low-temperature inducible protein accumulation system (lt-degron) – and methods to generate so-called ‘phenotypes on demand’ for the production of POIs/MOIs in a spatial and time-dependent manner ensuring proper posttranslational modifications. For the first time, it has been adopted to multicellular organisms like insects and intact plants in vivo.

Fungi (yeast) of the genus Malassezia are found on the skin of most humans and animals. In humans this disease is most commonly caused by Malassezia furfur. Infections with this pathogen can result in life-threatening fungemia and other nosocomial infections. Rare cases can be attributed to M. pachydermatis. Novel natural substances are provided, which show highly promising activity against M. pachydermatis. MIC values are comparable to those for terbinafine, which is a synthetic antifungal.

In freeze substitution the water content in biological samples is replaced with a solvent (usually acetone or methanol) and is a notoriously slow technique. This invention significantly reduces the duration by agitating samples during the process.

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), applied as a recombinant protein, shows powerful longterm cardioprotective effects in a rat model for
myocardial infarction after a single application within 2 hours after infarction.

Background
Biocatalysts that can perform stereo- and regioselective hydroxylation of steroids are of great interest, since these molecules are among the most strongly marketed compounds of the pharmaceutical industry.
Especially the human metabolites 16-ß-OH-Testosterone and Androstendion are desired products, as they have a wide application as food, dietary supplements and medical products or in terms of diagnostics.
Testosterone can be metabolized by various human microsomal cytochrome P450 systems to the corresponding 16-ß-OH metabolite. So far, these enzymes are not capable of a regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of testosterone. More than that, mammalian P450 systems are characterized by low stability and activity as well as an unpleasant expression level when compared to bacterial P450 systems.

Invention
Biochemists and pharmaceutical biologists of Saarland University have developed an effective recombinant biotransformation system based on a Bacillus megaterium strain that is capable of performing both stereo- and regioselective hydroxylation of non-activated carbon atoms of testosterone giving rise to 16-ß-OH-Testosterone in one step. The biocatalyst can further be applied in the synthesis of Androstendion using testosterone as a starting material.

Advantages
• Very fast and cost-efficient synthesis of steroid derivatives

• One step transformation of testosterone into 16-ß-OH testosterone

• No side products

• High yield

Background
The biotechnological production of 25-OH Vitamin D3 is of great importance, as this inactivated position 25 within vitamin D3 is hardly achievable by means of organic synthesis, especially in terms of a regio- and stereoselective manner.
Within the human body, 25-OH vitamin D3 is converted into the biological active form of vitamin D3 which is important for the Ca2+ deposit into bones. Furthermore, in case of hepatic cirrhosis, its substitution is essential. It has anti-carcinogenic effects and acts protective in terms of autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
25-OH vitamin D3 is also used as a standard in clinical laboratory diagnostics. Altogether, 25-OH vitamin D3 is valuable concerning biotechnology, pharmacy and medicine.

Invention
Biochemists of Saarland University identified and optimized two cytochrome P450 systems which are capable of performing a regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of vitamin D3 in one step, transferring vitamin D3 to 25-OH and other hydroxyl- derivatives of vitamin D3. The enzymes belong to the CYP109 family.
One of these enzymes is capable of synthesizing 25-OH vitamin D3 as a major product and three side products in vitro producing a yield of 26 mg/l/24h.
The second one gives rise to 25-OH vitamin D3 as the only product producing a yield of 5 mg/l/24h.

Advantages
• Synthesis of 25-OH vitamin D3 and other hydroxyl-derivatives in high yields

o 25-OH vitamin D3 and three side products→ 26 mg/l/24h
o 25-OH vitamin D3 → 5 mg/l/24h

• Low production costs

• No toxic side products as in classical organic synthesis

This invention is a process for detecting salmonellae as well as a fluorescing detection molecule that can be used for detecting salmonellae. This procedure enables the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of salmonellae. A major advantage of this invented technology is that the salmonellae biosensor described here requires no additional devices aside from a fluorescence reading device, and does not require any specially trained technical experts.

This process enables the production of functional fusion tissue of various sizes. One advantage over previous procedures is that it generates larger fusion tissue that is also improved in its differentiation and functionality. The invented fusion tissue is also suitable for screening for new substances, to test substances, to improve or validate known therapeutic substances, or to create new indications and applications for known substances.

For the production of rechargeable batteries, it is desirable to use silicon as anode material in Li-ion batteries. The use of silicon anodes theoretically increases battery capacity tenfold compared to conventional graphite anodes. However, the attempt had previously failed, since the layers would expand by 300 to 400 % due to the storage of lithium ions in the Si bulk material. This induces a high residual strain and can destroy the bulk Si after only a few charge cycles. In addition, as a consequence of the irreversible reaction between the Si anode and electrolyte a layer of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) can develop and lead to a low coulombic efficiency.
Scientists of the University of Stuttgart now succeeded in developing a porous semiconductor layer, which displays a pore distribution from 50 to 3000 nm and eliminates the residual strain. It can be manufactured in a continuous process.

The present technology improves immunogenicity by treating DCs during maturation with the fungal-derived enzyme galactose oxidase. Hereby, a stronger physical interaction between DCs and T cells is achieved resulting in an at least 10-fold improved T cell priming capacity. In cell culture assays both human and mouse DCs showed enhanced T cell priming potential, the murine cells also in vivo.
Even the T cell stimulatory potential of mature DCs that were putatively activated up to a maximum was further improved by the galactose oxidase treatment. Hence, low affine T lymphocytes, as often found in the context of tumor antigens, can be activated and brought to proliferation too.
By improving T cell priming capability and therefore immunogenicity, this technology provides the opportunity to markedly enhance the classical DC maturation and accordingly to improve DC-vaccine approaches for example in tumor or HIV patients.