All articles tagged with #bioplastics
Harvard scientists have successfully grown algae in Mars-like conditions using bioplastic habitats, paving the way for sustainable, self-sufficient space habitats that could support future colonization efforts on Mars and beyond.
Milan-based company Krill Design is creating furniture products made from a patented plastic-like biomaterial named Rekrill, which is fully organic, biodegradable, and can be reused and recycled. Using fruit peel, orange seeds, and coffee ground waste collected from businesses in Italy, Krill's designs include bookends, stools, clocks, bowls, and lamps. The company aims to reduce waste and carbon emissions by repurposing food waste that would otherwise be incinerated or dumped in landfills. While Rekrill is more expensive than common plastic, Krill hopes that as awareness of the environmental impact of unsustainable plastics grows, the material will become more widely used.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a multimodal imaging platform to study microbe-semiconductor biohybrids, which use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemical products like bioplastics. The platform allows for single-cell resolution imaging, providing insights into the energy conversion pathways and protein behaviors within the biohybrids. The researchers discovered the functional roles of different hydrogenases in the process and found that the bacteria can uptake a larger amount of electrons from semiconductor photocatalysts than previously thought. The findings could lead to the development of more efficient energy conversion strategies and have implications for other biological-inorganic systems.
Scientists have discovered a microbe in a volcanic hot spring that can consume carbon dioxide (CO2) "astonishingly quickly". The researchers hope to use naturally evolved microbes to absorb CO2 as an efficient way of removing the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. The new microbe, a cyanobacteria, was discovered in volcanic seeps near the Italian island of Vulcano, where the water contains high levels of CO2. The microbe sinks in water, which could help collect the CO2 it absorbs. The project was funded by biotechnology company Seed Health, which is researching the use of microbial enzymes to break down plastics.