Research projects

Funding: BMLEH, FNR, 587.567 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out on DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
The "pfloeZ"" project aims to further improve the environmental performance of agriculture. In organic farming, resource conservation and environmental compatibility are top priorities. Crop production and animal husbandry are closely interlinked. The nutrients required for fertilizing crops come mainly from animal husbandry and can be applied to the fields, which are usually adjacent. The purchase of feed and the use of mineral fertilizers are largely avoided. The problem to date has been that in areas with intensive animal husbandry, nutrients have been washed into surface waters and groundwater, causing pollution. Biochar could limit this problem for all forms of agriculture (organic and conventional). The use of pure biochar in crop production returns carbon to the cycle, but depending on the starting substrate for carbonization, valuable nutrients are bound (too) long-term. To resolve this conflict, biochar produced from C-rich, otherwise nutrient-poor raw materials should be used in a closed nutrient cycle utilizing animal husbandry. Biochar can promote animal health as a component of feed, is then excreted and can thus be applied to the fields for crop production in a nutrient-rich, homogeneous form with no loss - or the biochar can be used directly as an additive to livestock excrement (such as manure), and then spread on the fields loaded with nutrients to reduce the amount of undirected nutrient runoff into the environment. In this way, biochar helps to maintain and promote healthy soil microflora and provides nutrients in controlled doses. The ""pfloeZ"" project provides the basis for more environmentally friendly agriculture, which is a significant carbon sink and at the same time closes nutrient cycles as tightly as possible with minimal losses."

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, 3.167.862 EUR

Project Details:
Due to the expected changes in the TAppV and current standards of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), which accredits veterinary education institutions, VETCURR aims to implement adjustments in the curriculum to make veterinary studies fit for the future.

In addition, the project aims to strengthen students' professional skills, resilience, and ability to deal with future-related topics. To meet the challenges that arise during studies and professional life, accompanying measures will be established that focus on practical training, tutorial support, and coaching. Adjustments to the curriculum and the integration of foreward-thinking teaching concepts are intended to strengthen practical education. In the interest of animal welfare, the expansion of compulsory teaching in the Clinical Skills Lab serves to implement the "never-the-first-time-on-a-live-animal"" concept. So that students do not perform practical skills on animals the first time, but instead receive preliminary instruction using models, simulations, or digital teaching materials."

Cooperation Partners:

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Funding: Nds. Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur über Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 1.811.726 EUR

Project Details:
This initial project within the ZERN research and transfer network is dealing with the future-oriented keeping and use of fattening pigs. There are deficits in current fattening pig husbandry, particularly in the areas of animal welfare, emissions and nutrient efficiency. This project has therefore set the objective of scientifically evaluating relevant aspects of sustainable pork production synergistically and gaining new, practice-relevant knowledge.

Cooperation Partners:

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL)

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg Stiftung, 25.000 EUR

Project Details:
The production of gluten-free sausages poses major challenges with respect to texture, flavor, and nutritional value when compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. In conventional formulations, gluten acts as a key binding agent, providing structure, elasticity, and overall product integrity. In gluten-free products, however, alternative binding systems are required. Commonly used starch-based fillers (e.g., corn starch or rice flour) often result in a sticky or brittle texture, altered flavor profiles, and suboptimal protein digestibility. Consequently, gluten-free sausages frequently exhibit poor mouthfeel, reduced juiciness, and lower protein bioavailability, negatively affecting both consumer acceptance and nutritional quality.
In recent years, the demand for gluten-free foods has increased dramatically. This growth is driven not only by individuals with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, but also by a broader consumer segment that perceives gluten-free diets as a healthier alternative and therefore prefers such products. This rising demand has prompted food manufacturers to develop innovative gluten-free alternatives to traditional gluten-containing products such as bread, pasta, and processed meat products. However, reproducing the sensory and nutritional properties of gluten-containing foods?particularly sausages?remains a significant challenge. In this context, microbial enzymes can be employed as processing aids or food additives to more closely replicate the functional properties of gluten.
Microbial enzymes, particularly those derived from Bacillus spp., offer substantial advantages over fungal- and plant-based alternatives and are therefore highly suitable for industrial applications. They can be produced rapidly and at large scale via fermentation, ensuring cost efficiency and a stable supply. Moreover, these enzymes are generally highly thermostable, allowing them to remain functional during high-temperature processing steps such as those involved in sausage production. Owing to their cost-effectiveness, stability, and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, enzymes derived from Bacillus spp. represent a scalable and sustainable solution for food processing applications.
In this project, thermostable proteases and α-amylases from Bacillus spp. will be applied to address the challenges in gluten-free sausage production. Proteases will be used to hydrolyze meat proteins and to break down complex structures (e.g., collagen) into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. This enzymatic process is expected to enhance texture by increasing tenderness, improve flavor through the release of taste-active amino acids, and increase nutritional value by improving protein bioavailability. Simultaneously, α-amylases will degrade excess starch from starch-based binding agents into simpler sugars, thereby improving the consistency of the sausage matrix and reducing stickiness and brittleness. In addition, the use of these enzymes represents a sustainable approach, as they are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Funding: Brigitte und Wolfram Gedek-Stiftung, 25.000 EUR

Project Details:
The research project aims to characterised moulds on various mould-ripened and non-mould-ripened plant-based cheese alternatives immediately after purchase. The plant-based cheese alternatives should then be stored under household conditions. They should be stored in direct contact with mould-ripened cheese on the one hand, but also without direct contact on the other. Here, too, the moulds that have grown are then characterised. In addition, the plant-based cheese alternatives are tested for mycotoxins using ELISA before and after storage.

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK) ZERN - Zukunft Ernährung Niedersachsen, 365.144 EUR

Project Details:
This project is carried out at DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.

The project provides evidence-based insights into the sensory quality, microbiological safety and potential health effects of raw milk kefir. The results identify conditions under which raw milk kefir can be a viable option for regional direct marketing. A practical guideline supports dairy farms in quality-assured production and marketing.

Cooperation Partners:

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL), Quakenbrück, Abteilung Biochemie der Ernährung

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Agrarwissenschaften, Labor für sensorische Analysen und Konsumentenforschung, Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung

Funding: Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, 215.957 EUR

Project Details:
The project aims to develop an innovative in vitro model that mimics the changes in neurodevelopment
induced by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This model serves two main purposes: to better
characterize the fundamental processes of neurodevelopment affected by IUGR, and to test the efficacy
and safety of new neuroprotective therapies. As part of a collaboration, a method transfer from our
laboratory to Hannover will be conducted. This transfer allows the developed model to be established and
validated in a broader research environment. The project develops a human cell-based in vitro model that
enables the assessment of IUGR-induced changes in neurodevelopment in the basic functions of
neurogenesis, without the use of experimental animals. This model replaces the current animal model, in
which IUGR is induced by surgical intervention or dietary restriction in vivo. In our laboratory, a special focus is placed on measuring the network activity of neurospheres. This analysis provides deeper insights into the functional effects of IUGR on neuronal development and connectivity. By combining the method transfer to Hannover and the specialized analysis of network activity in our laboratory, the project aims to achieve a comprehensive characterization of IUGR-induced neurodevelopmental changes. This forms the basis for the development and evaluation of new neuroprotective strategies.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Marta Barenys, Ph.D., Bf3R, BfR, Berlin

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 25.000 EUR

Project Details:
Alternative ingredients such as plants or insects as substitutes for meat in (vegetarian or vegan) meat products have been increasingly researched in recent years and are already being used in some commercial products. Algae are also an interesting alternative to meat, as they are also high in protein. A distinction is made between microalgae and macroalgae. Scientific studies with microalgae species such as Chlorella spp. or Spirulina spp. as meat substitutes in meat products have shown that their addition has an influence on physicochemical parameters, especially colour. Since the studies published to date have mostly used only one microalgae species in a few concentrations with one type of meat (mostly pork), the proposed project aims to produce cooked sausages from two different microalgae species, Chlorella spp. or Spirulina spp. in different concentrations to replace the meat content, varying the type of meat replaced (pork, beef, chicken). In addition to physicochemical parameters such as pH value or colour, microbiological parameters (after inoculation, if applicable) will also be examined during storage in a protective gas atmosphere in order to evaluate the influence of meat replacement by microalgae during storage in retail outlets.

Funding: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, 635.500 EUR

Project Details:
The cHillYGIENE project will be carried out in three stages. First, the microbiological contamination of cooling fan units and their surroundings in meat processing plants will be investigated, while simultaneously recording various metadata (including design, materials, temperature range, operating zones, defrosting processes, and refrigerated goods). This will be done through a broad-based status quo survey and long-term monitoring in selected companies. This will provide comprehensive information on the usual microbial colonization, hygienically relevant areas, and the development of microflora in air coolers. Furthermore, the influence of various surface coatings on relevant cooling fan components on microbial contamination is being investigated. Preliminary laboratory-scale tests provide basic information on the extent to which coatings influence the adhesion, detachment, proliferation, and biofilm formation potential of selected microorganisms under practical conditions. Based on this, the previously identified hygienically relevant components of a standard cooling fan are coated, or coated pieces of material are installed in them as sentinels. The modified cooling fan is installed in a practical operation or in a room suitable for simulating practical conditions in order to generate information on the hygienic benefits of surface coatings on cooling fans. Finally, the results are evaluated jointly and discussed with the participating commercial enterprises. Based on the synthesis of all available data, the final report identifies problems and formulates recommendations for implementing the results in practice.

Cooperation Partners:

Externe Kooperationspartner: Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Institut für Life Science Technologies, Lemgo

Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät der Universität Leipzig, Institut für Lebensmittelhygiene

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 100.000 EUR

Project Details:
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is capable of being transmitted to humans via under-cooked meat or contaminated raw foods and has been identified as a potential health risk to the immunocompromised and pregnant population. In the absence of an efficient, rapid test method for foodstuffs that enables early identification of the source of contamination, work is underway on the development of a LAMP assay, with funding provided by the Fritz Ahrberg Foundation. This method should enable the rapid and sensitive detection of even small amounts of parasites in various, sometimes complex food matrices. In a subsequent phase of the project, the presence of pathogens along the food processing chain will be determined. Consequently, potential measures for risk minimisation can be evaluated.