Accurately tracking how plastic biodegrades

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an approach to accurately record and fully track the biodegradation of plastics in soils

14-Oct-2022 - Modern agriculture uses a lot of plastic, especially in the form of mulch film that farmers use to cover field soils. This keeps the soils moist for crops, suppresses weeds and promotes crop growth. However, it is usually very time-​consuming and costly for farmers to collect and dispose of ...

Scientists develop a new kind of printable, wearable insect repellent

12-Oct-2022 - A new type of insect-repellent delivery device has been developed by scientists from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). With the help of a 3D printer, the active ingredient is first "encapsulated" and formed into the desired shape, such as a ring, which can then be worn and ...

New PET-like plastic made directly from waste biomass

“We essentially just ‘cook’ wood or other non-edible plant material, such as agricultural wastes, in inexpensive chemicals to produce the plastic precursor in one step”

28-Jun-2022 - It is becoming increasingly obvious that moving away from fossil fuels and avoiding the accumulation of plastics in the environment are key to addressing the challenge of climate change. In that vein, there are considerable efforts to develop degradable or recyclable polymers made from non-edible ...

A previously unknown bacterial enzyme makes new type of biodegradable polymer

18-Mar-2022 - Strings of sugars called polysaccharides are the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Because of their versatile and environmentally friendly properties, these molecules could eventually replace some plastics. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have identified a previously unknown ...

Green catalysts with Earth-abundant metals accelerate production of bio-based plastic

How crystalline structure can affect the performance of MnO2 catalysts

10-Jan-2019 - Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed and analyzed a novel catalyst for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, which is crucial for generating new raw materials that replace the classic non-renewable ones used for making many plastics. It should be no ...

Medication you can wear

Drug equipped polymer fibers

15-Oct-2018 - Drug-releasing textiles could, for instance, be used to treat skin wounds. Empa researchers are currently developing polymer fibers that can be equipped with drugs. The smart fibers recognize the need for therapy all by themselves and dose the active ingredients with precision and accuracy. For ...

Testing the first biodegradable straws

23-Aug-2018 - A research team that includes partners from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute and the RWDC Environmental Stewardship Foundation will develop a fully biodegradable plastic straw thanks to an award from Singapore's Temasek Foundation Ecosperity. The $719,000 award represents the top ...

Soil bugs munch on plastics

27-Jul-2018 - Thin mulch films made of polyethylene are used in agriculture in numerous countries, where they cause extensive soil contamination. Researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag have now identified an alternative: films made of the polymer PBAT biodegrade in soils. Our world is drowning in a flood of ...

A path to sustainable and biodegradable polyesters

04-Jun-2018 - There's a good chance you've touched something made out of the polyolefin polymer today. It's often used in polyethylene products like plastic bags or polypropylene products like diapers. As useful as polyolefins are in society, they continue to multiply as trash in the environment. Scientists ...

Harvard bioengineers' biomaterial-based cancer immunotherapies to be developed by Novartis

20-Mar-2018 - The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) announced today that Novartis will have access to commercially develop their therapeutic, biomaterial-based, cancer vaccine technology ...