2019
25 October 2019
SPLASH – funding approvals handed over
Hygienic treatment with plasma-activated water is a promising method for extending the shelf life of fresh plant products such as cut lettuce and preventing spoilage. This innovative approach is now to be developed to practical maturity. The BMEL is providing a total of €1.1 million from its innovation funding programme for the SPLASH joint project. On behalf of the project sponsor BLE, Dr Christine Natt presented the funding notifications to the four project partners from science, industry and practice in Potsdam on 24 October.
Dr Christine Natt, Vice-President and Head of the Department of Promotion, Research, Innovation and Sustainability at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), chose a very fitting setting for the official presentation of the grant notification: a symposium of the Society of German Food Technologists (GDL) on the topic of "Minimal Processing", which took place on 24 and 25 October at the ATB.
"By minimal processing, we mean product-friendly processing with the lowest possible treatment intensity and low temperatures," explains ATB scientist Dr.- Ing. Oliver Schlüter. "It is also about using materials and energy sustainably to produce high-quality, healthy and safe food and avoiding losses."
Treatment with non-thermal plasma is a particularly interesting minimal processing approach with regard to food safety, e.g. as a post-harvest treatment for fresh products such as cut lettuce. Plasma processes achieve a broad spectrum of effects due to the diversity of their mechanisms of action, including UV radiation and reactive oxygen species. They also make it more difficult for microorganisms to adapt to the process.
The SPLASH project focuses on the development of a resource-efficient washing process for fresh cut lettuce. Ready-to-cook cut lettuce in bags is popular because it is easy and convenient to prepare. However, it also carries the risk of contamination with human pathogens. The cell sap that escapes from the cut surfaces, together with the humidity in the plastic packaging, provides ideal conditions for the growth of microorganisms.
In the project, it is not the lettuce itself that is treated with plasma, but the water (plasma-processed water, PPW) used to wash the lettuce. The effect of this indirect plasma treatment on toxicological and sensory changes in the washed lettuce is the subject of investigations at the ATB.
"Plasma technology offers the possibility of applying the individual mechanisms of action very specifically. This allows us to adapt the process control to the results of the microbiological, toxicological and sensory testing of the products after plasma treatment," explains Dr Jörg Ehlbeck from the coordinating Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology in Greifswald. Another project goal is to design the process for the transportability and storability of plasma-treated cut lettuce.
The ATB has many years of expertise in the application of non-thermal plasmas. For 13 years, the team led by Dr Oliver Schlüter has been researching their effects and potential in numerous projects involving a wide variety of products, from perishable fruit and vegetables to spices and cereals.
The use of non-thermal plasma processes (temperatures below 40°C) at atmospheric pressure is used for the gentle hygienisation of fresh fruit and vegetables. This allows fresh and dry foods to be quickly and effectively cleaned of spoilage germs and pathogens on their surface. The plasma used, an ionised gas, flows around the surface of the product without heating it significantly.
In her speech, Dr Christine Natt emphasised the great importance of the BMEL's innovation promotion programme for the further development of the industry. Funding is provided for research, development and demonstration projects that contribute to making innovative technical and non-technical products marketable – from production to processing. Close cooperation between science and industry activates and bundles the great potential for ideas and promotes transfer, so that the innovations resulting from the projects become effective drivers for successful companies in the food industry.
The joint project "Development of an innovative washing process for fresh cut salad based on non-thermal plasma technology to increase product safety, quality and sustainability (SPLASH)" is being funded by the BMEL over three years with a total of
1.1 million euros over three years from the innovation promotion programme. The project is funded by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). The project coordinator is Dr Jörg Ehlbeck from the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology ( , INP Greifswald). Partners are the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB Potsdam), Gartenfrisch Jung GmbH (Jagsthausen) and Kronen GmbH Nahrungsmitteltechnik (Kehl am Rhein).
Contact ATB:
Dr.-Ing. Oliver Schlüter
Tel.: 0331 5699-613, E-Mail: oschlueteratb-potsdamde
Dr. Antje Fröhling
Tel.: 0331 5699-625; E-Mail: afroehlingatb-potsdamde
Helene Foltan - Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Tel.: 0331 5699-820, E-Mail: presseatb-potsdamde
Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB)
Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469 Potsdam
23 September 2019
Important progress towards cancer treatment with cold physical plasma
An international team of scientists has made significant progress in researching the use of cold physical plasma for the treatment of cancer.
The potential use of cold physical plasma for cancer treatment is a highly topical international research topic. Laboratory experiments have now shown on numerous occasions that plasma treatment can kill cancer cells, for example by initiating programmed cell death.
A number of questions still need to be clarified before this promising approach can be translated into a realistic therapy option. An international team of scientists from ZIK plasmatis at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Greifswald University Hospital and the University of Antwerp has now succeeded in gaining essential insights into the application of cold plasma for cancer treatment.
Using a three-dimensional tumour cell culture, the team was able to show that plasma treatment leads to a desired reduction in cell activity and cell vitality, but does not affect or even reduce cell motility, i.e. the ability of cells to move. At the same time, the team did not observe any detachment of cancer cells from the cell cluster caused by plasma treatment. This means that plasma treatment of cancer cells does not cause faster growth or the undesirable migration of cells through the body and therefore there are no indications of possible metastasis formation. As a result of the plasma treatment, adhesion markers that play an important role in metastasis were downregulated.
These preclinical study results represent an important step forward on the path to future plasma application in cancer therapy, where it is essential to rule out an increased risk of unintended tumour metastasis. These results must, of course, be verified by further preclinical studies.
About the institute: The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) is one of the world's leading centres for plasma medicine. Physicists, biochemists, biologists, physicians and pharmacists work together under one roof to investigate the interactions between physical plasmas and cells. This interdisciplinary basic research, supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has led to the development of plasma applications that are significant for the healthcare of the future. For example, the PlasmaJet kINPen® MED, launched in 2013 by neoplas tools GmbH, a spin-off of the institute, is successfully used in numerous clinics to treat chronic wounds, which affect millions of people in Germany.
22 March 2019
INP intensifies research in important future fields
The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) will further intensify its research work in the globally important application fields of agriculture and energy in the coming years, thereby further expanding its international position as a centre of excellence. The German government's funding commitment for two major projects within the "WIR! - Change through Innovation in the Region" programme will also provide new economic impetus.
Together with alliance partners from across the region, the INP has successfully applied for the practical phase of "WIR! - Change through Innovation in the Region" and will be able to implement the innovation concepts "CAMPFIRE - Wind and Water to Ammonia" (led by the INP) and "Physics for Food - A Region Rethinks!" (led by the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences) in cooperation with renowned companies and other research facilities, universities and institutions over the next five years. The projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The alliances mentioned above prevailed in a two-stage process against 32 finalists and initially more than 100 applications from eastern Germany.
The Chairman of the Executive Board and Scientific Director of the institute, Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Weltmann, emphasises the importance of both projects: "At INP, we focus on future-oriented topics of relevance to society as a whole, with international significance and high scientific standards. And we are guided by the requirements of the market. The WIR! projects now offer us the opportunity to help shape change in our region by developing innovative, technological solutions for important future fields in a " " with our alliance partners. What makes this special is that science, industry and society are working together in an interdisciplinary manner on ideas that are significant for the entire region and beyond.
The CAMPFIRE alliance, led by INP, is researching the decentralised production of green ammonia from air, water and renewable energies. This valuable material, which has mainly been processed into fertiliser up to now, is also to be used as an emission-free marine fuel in future. An important component of the planned new production process are ceramic thin-film membranes, which offer high efficiency and a long service life. The aim of the more than 30 alliance partners in the North-East model region, which stretches from Rostock to Szczecin in Poland, is also to integrate the energy sector with the maritime and chemical industries, thereby creating a new, promising branch of the economy.
The aim of the "Physics for Food" project, led by the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, is to bring about sustainable structural change in the north-east coastal hinterland project region through the use of innovative physical high technologies in agriculture and the food industry. To achieve this, the alliance of 60 partners is also pursuing clear innovation potential. One of the aims is to replace chemical agents in plant protection, which will help protect the environment. The alliance partners also want to develop methods for improving plant growth and strengthening plant health – the aim is to make agricultural crops more resilient. Another focus is on optimising the refinement of plant-based raw materials using completely new processes. Ultimately, the aim is to achieve a holistic transfer of technology that will benefit regional and sustainable agriculture.
22 March 2019
Emissions-free shipping: Researchers and companies want to establish green ammonia technology
The CAMPFIRE alliance was selected by a jury of experts as one of 20 East German innovation initiatives that will implement strategic innovation concepts over the next five years and develop new fields of technology from them. As part of the pilot programme "WIR! - Change through Innovation in the Region", the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is initially funding the project with up to eight million euros. CAMPFIRE is researching the decentralised production of green ammonia from renewable energies. Ceramic thin-film membranes, which are highly efficient and durable, are a fundamental component of the new process.
"We are delighted that the jury has chosen our concept, which we have been working on intensively for more than seven months and which has enabled us to create a broad knowledge alliance," says project manager Dr Angela Kruth from the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald. CAMPFIRE now has 31 partners, almost two-thirds of which are companies. The concept was developed and coordinated by the INP, IKEM – Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility, and Stralsund University of Applied Sciences (HOST). Important impetus was also provided by external partners, the Centre for Fuel Technology (ZBT) and the Institute for Competence in Automobility (IKAM). The alliance aims to establish a new, promising economic sector in the north-east project region by developing innovative energy technologies and linking the local energy sector with the maritime and chemical industries. This region stretches from Rostock to Szczecin in Poland.
The expertise has been available there for many years and is now being brought together for the first time in the CAMPFIRE alliance to form a new technology path: The north-east is home to successful companies in special shipbuilding and energy production, and large shipping companies and fertiliser producers have also settled there. The participating scientific institutions are researching nanotechnologies and fuel cells for the energy sector, among other things.
The innovation concept focuses on the decentralised production of green ammonia from air and water; the energy required for this comes from wind and solar power plants. Ceramic thin-film membranes, which are highly efficient and durable, serve as a fundamental component of this new process. This makes the production processes economically viable for the first time. However, these materials still need to be developed – an initial research project for CAMPFIRE. In parallel, CAMPFIRE experts are conducting technological and economic studies for the sustainable production of ammonia and its use as a fuel. Legal frameworks also need to be adapted and complex approval procedures prepared. The alliance is also campaigning for a sustainable policy framework ( ) that will create the economic conditions for the project. "We need realistic CO2 pricing that also reflects long-term climate costs. Instead of subsidising fossil fuels, climate-neutral fuels must become economically viable. Appropriate CO2 pricing will help here," says IKEM Managing Director Simon Schäfer-Stradowsky. The higher the price, the faster the transition to new technologies will be.
Experience in ammonia production dates back 150 years. The combination of nitrogen and hydrogen is one of the most widely produced chemicals and a raw material for fertilisers, among other things. However, ammonia has other important properties that are now coming to the fore: it is an excellent carbon-free energy storage medium, can be easily liquefied and has a high energy density. This makes green ammonia valuable for use in zero-emission propulsion systems, which will be developed for shipping in the coming years. It can also be used to produce sustainable fertilisers, which will help secure global food production. Ammonia can also be fed into stationary energy supply systems. "The new ammonia technologies are key to meeting the social challenges of the future," says Kruth. Another goal is to export the high-tech solutions developed in the region worldwide.
Scientific Contact:
Sprecherin CAMPFIRE:
Dr. Angela Kruth
Leibniz-Institut für Plasmaforschung und Technologie
Tel.: +49 3834 554 3860
E-Mail: angela.kruthinp-greifswaldde
More informations:
http://www.wir-campfire.de
Greifswald researchers decipher further mechanisms of wound healing through plasma
The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) is one of the world's leading centres for plasma medicine. Physicists, biochemists, biologists, physicians and pharmacists work under one roof to investigate the interactions between physical plasmas and cells. This interdisciplinary basic research has led to the development of plasma applications that are significant for the healthcare of the future. For example, the PlasmaJet kINPen® MED, launched on the market in 2013 by a spin-off of the institute, is successfully used in numerous clinics to treat chronic wounds, which affect up to four million people in Germany.
The scientific evidence for plasma medicine has now been confirmed once again by INP researchers. The article "Nrf2 signaling and inflammation are key events in physical plasma-spurred wound healing," published in the international journal "Theranostics," serves to further elucidate important molecular mechanisms of plasma-assisted wound healing.
In a preclinical study conducted in collaboration with Rostock University Medical Centre, the scientists were able to show that treatment with cold atmospheric pressure plasma initially accelerates the healing process of acute skin wounds. The investigations highlighted the importance of two key factors for the effectiveness of plasma in living tissue: the molecule Nrf2, which is important for cellular redox homeostasis and can trigger the activation of protective genes, and the protein p53, which plays a crucial role in regulating the cell cycle. In addition, the experts demonstrated another important effect in the study: the antioxidant and inflammation-modulating processes influenced by plasma lead to a strong immune response in the body. Early migration of phagocytes, macrophages and neutrophil granulocytes, a subtype of white blood cells, to the wound area was observed. The study supports the hypothesis that physical plasma primarily influences redox-based cellular processes that are important for controlling physiological wound healing.
The results could pave the way for even more effective treatment of diabetic wounds. Such non-healing wounds are associated with high costs and cause serious economic damage due to long-term absences from work.
The basic plasma medicine research at INP is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (FKZ 03Z22DN11 & 12).
Scientific contact:
Dr. Anke Schmidt
Abteilung Plasma Life Science
Tel.: +49 3834 554 3958
E-Mail:
anke.schmidt@inp-greifswald.de
original publication:
Anke Schmidt, Thomas von Woedtke, Brigitte Vollmar, Sybille Hasse, Sander Bekeschus (2019). Nrf2 signaling and inflammation are key events in physical plasma-spurred wound healing. Theranostics Vol. 9, Issue 4, 1066-1084.
doi:10.7150/thno.29754.
Research alliance aims to lay the foundations for emission-free mobility
The CAMPFIRE alliance, comprising experts from research, industry and politics, aims to develop technical solutions for emission-free maritime mobility in the near future, which could become a core element of the economy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At a workshop at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) today, Thursday, 31 January, the experts discussed the strategy for the practical implementation of the project.
Greifswald, 31 January 2019. It is a clear vision for the economic future of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: in future, electricity generated from renewable energy sources could be used much more locally and serve as fuel for new technologies. Based on a comprehensive concept developed by 30 project partners from research, industry and politics, the CAMPFIRE alliance, founded over a year ago, aims to bring about structural change in the north-east region. CAMPFIRE brings together the expertise of various research institutes and companies from the energy sector, the maritime industry and the fertiliser industry. The central element of the concept is the production of green ammonia and its use for emission-free ship propulsion and the production of sustainable fertiliser. This raw material, which can be produced from locally generated wind or solar power, water and air, is already regarded by experts as the "petroleum of the future".
However, it is only through the integration of innovative electroceramic nanolayers that the energy conversion processes involved in ammonia production can be made economically viable. This technological leap is to be achieved by CAMPFIRE within a five-year implementation phase. To this end, the alliance has applied for funding from the "WIR! – Wandel durch Innovation in der Region" (Change through Innovation in the Region) programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), the Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM) and the Stralsund University of Applied Sciences (HOST) are acting as coordinators.
Vorpommern State Secretary Patrick Dahlemann (SPD) emphasises the importance of the CAMPFIRE project for the region: "Here in Vorpommern, a flagship project is emerging that will have a far-reaching impact on the state and can provide a strong economic boost. This is a great opportunity for MV to link two important economic sectors, the energy industry and the maritime economy. Emissions-free shipping also protects our state's most important natural treasure – the Baltic Sea."
Dr Donald Höpfner, Managing Director of the Rostock branch of fertiliser manufacturer YARA, said: "Together with our alliance partners, we want to develop new technical solutions for the production of green ammonia at the Rostock site. This approach not only protects the environment, but also strengthens the region's economy." Until now, ammonia has had to be imported mainly by sea.
CAMPFIRE project manager Dr Angela Kruth also gives a thoroughly positive interim assessment: "The alliance has grown steadily and we are receiving an overwhelming response from the business community." There are innovative concepts around the world relating to ammonia. For example, the chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen is already intended as a fuel for state-of-the-art vehicle engines and turbines. In other model projects, ammonia is to be used to secure the energy supply in remote areas. In addition, ammonia is an excellent energy storage medium and could therefore serve as an intermediate step for the utilisation of hydrogen. If small-scale production processes for ammonia based on new electroceramic components that could be connected directly to wind farms were to be developed, this would be a breakthrough, emphasises the INP researcher. "However, further research projects are needed to tailor vehicles, energy systems, legal frameworks and safety concepts to the new energy source. We also need to increase public acceptance of ammonia."
Scientific contact person:
Dr. Angela Kruth
Projektleitung
Leibniz-Institut für Plasmaforschung und Technologie
Tel. +49 3834 554 3860
E-Mail:
angela.kruth@inp-greifswald.de Weitere Informationen:
Contact
Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology
Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2
17489 Greifswald
Stefan Gerhardt
Communication
Tel.: +49 3834 - 554 3903
Fax: +49 3834 - 554 301
stefan.gerhardt@inp-greifswald.de
www.leibniz-inp.de
