On 15 October 2026, the Alg4Nut research consortium gathered at the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf for its first Status Seminar after the project start in April 2025. Researchers from five universities and research institutes came together to present initial findings, share the latest project developments and strengthen collaboration across the consortium.

The seminar highlighted the diverse research activities taking place within Alg4Nut.

The programme featured two sessions. In the first, our early-career researchers presented updates and initial findings from their respective work packages, covering algae cultivation, dairy cow feeding trials and microbiological studies investigating the effects of algae supplementation on the rumen microbiome.

In the second session, members of the scientific and economic advisory boards shared their expertise and perspectives on topics relevant to Alg4Nut. Their contributions provided valuable insights and stimulated discussions on the ongoing research and its future direction.

Poster presentations by all project partners provided further insights into individual research activities and created opportunities to discuss findings in greater detail and exchange ideas.

The seminar also offered participants a closer look at the research facilities at FBN. During a guided tour of the animal facilities, attendees gained first-hand insights into how the dairy cow feeding trials are conducted.

We would like to thank all researchers, project partners and external guests for their contributions, enthusiasm and constructive discussions. Their engagement made the seminar a valuable opportunity to reflect on our progress and look ahead to the next steps.

From 1–3 October 2026, our PhD students and postdocs gathered on Hiddensee to share their latest research, exchange ideas, and strengthen their network in an inspiring setting.

Prof. Dr. Tim Urich and Dr. Katrina Funkner from the University of Greifswald presented the Alg4Nut project with a focus on methanogens and their metabolism at the  20th International Symposium of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME).

At Science@Sail, our team had the opportunity to meet and engage with numerous visitors through two engaging and interactive sections.

• From the Sea to the Cow's Stomach – How Baltic Sea Algae Could Make Our Milk More Climate-Friendly 

   Jun-Prof. Dr. Klaus Herburger presented how Baltic Sea algae could be cultivated in the lab and produced on a larger scale for use in cow feed, with the aim of exploring their potential to make livestock farming more climate-friendly.

• Interactive Exhibition

The Alg4Nut team created an exciting interactive experience that attracted visitors of all ages, from children to adults.

Visitors explored the algae species used in cow feed and learned how we cultivate them in our laboratory. They also had the chance to discover the fascinating world of microbial communities in the rumen.

 As part of their school internship, Coral Mannherz and Fiete Freitag (11th and 10th grade, respectively) joined the Alg4Nut team to gain hands-on experience in scientific research.

 During their time with us, they had the opportunity to work with the teams of Prof. Dr. Mirko Basen and Jun.-Prof. Dr. Klaus Herburger and explor the fascinating world of bacteria and algae.

We are pleased to share that our project has been featured in Katapult MV. The article highlights our research and the project's impact.

Read the full article here.

NDR 1 Radio MV , News from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , May 29th. 2026

The Alg4Nut team welcomed numerous interested visitors with two engaging and interactive sections:

• From the Sea to the Barn: Algae as Climate Saviors – and What Microbes Have to Do with It

Prof. Dr. Mirko Basen presented the Alg4Nut project, highlighting how researchers from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are collaborating to explore how Baltic Sea algae can improve cows’ diet and health, contributing to a more climate-friendly agriculture.

• Alg4Nut – Algae as Feed for Cows

The Alg4Nut team from the University of Rostock and Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) (Nutritional Biochemistry Group) created an exciting interactive experience that attracted visitors of all ages, from children to adults.

Visitors had the opportunity to observe microbial communities in rumen fluid under a microscope, learn about different algae species, and explore the Alg4Nut project through interactive card games. Participants who successfully completed the activities were rewarded with small prizes.

A team of three students investigated the antimicrobial effects of seagrass on pathogenic microorganisms as part of the “Jugend forscht” competition. The idea for the project emerged at the beginning of 2025 and was implemented in close collaboration with scientific partners.

The team was supervised for one year by Junior Professor Dr. Klaus Herburger  and M.Sc. Annely Seyfarth within the framework of the Alg4Nuts consortium.

The students’ project was closely aligned methodologically and conceptually with Alg4Nut. The seagrass used in the study originates from the Baltic Sea and, as in the Alg4Nut project, represents the use of regional marine resources. Seagrass contains sulfated polysaccharides, similar to the algae studied in the project, which are not found in terrestrial plants. The extraction of these polysaccharides was carried out using methods developed within the Alg4Nut context. The investigation of the antimicrobial effects of the extracts also employed approaches comparable to those used in the consortium.

At the 36^th  state competition “Jugend forscht” on March 25, 2026, the project was awarded third place.

Prof. Dr. Mirko Basen, Sonja Kurrer and Karin Krangemann from the University of Rostock and Katrina Funkner from the University of Greifswald presented the Alg4Nut project, plans and progress in the Microbiological Research at the Annual meeting of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM). 

Conference abstracts can be found here.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Greifswald hosted the Alg4Nut Team for an in-person meeting.

During the session, team members presented their latest updates, exchanged perspectives, and engaged in lively and constructive  discussions. The meeting offered a valuable opportunity to review ongoing progress, address current challenges, and collaboratively explore new ideas and future directions.

We are happy to receive the funding approval, handed over by the Minister for Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs Bettina Martin.

We are looking forward to the project start.

More detailed information can be found here.