Category: Research

South Korean researchers develop new way to improve thermoelectricity production

May 4, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In South Korea, researchers from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology have developed a methodology to improve thermoelectricity production. High charge carrier mobility and low thermal conductivity of indacenodithiophene (IDT)-based polymers make them ideal candidates for thermoelectric materials. However, they suffer from low electric conductivity, a prerequisite for high thermoelectric performance. In a new […]

University of Plymouth researchers develops new UCO and ag waste biodiesel process

May 3, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In the UK, a scientist from the University of Plymouth has played a key role in new research which has developed a powerful, low-cost method for recycling used cooking oil and agricultural waste into biodiesel, and turning food scraps and plastic rubbish into high-value products. The method, outlined in a study published in Nature Catalysis, […]

UK researchers “hack” earliest stages of photosynthesis

May 2, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In the UK, researchers have ‘hacked’ the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a finding that could lead to new ways of generating clean fuel and renewable energy. An international team of physicists, chemists and […]

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution licenses algae-based wax tech

May 1, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In Massachusetts, wax that is derived from a commonly grown marine microalga could be the next big thing in cosmetics and personal care products, thanks to a recent license agreement between the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Western Washington University (WWU)—which jointly own the patents—and Upwell Cosmetics, a start-up materials company founded in Woods Hole, […]

Japanese researchers improve mechanical strength of hydrogels

April 27, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In Japan, introducing carbonated water into a mixture of low-methoxy pectin and calcium carbonate solution can accelerate the gelation process, improve the mechanical strength of hydrogels, and induce intrinsic structural changes in the gel material-found a recent Tokyo University of Science research. The insights from this study validate the use of carbonated water as a […]

Brazilian researchers cultivate microalgae for biofuel production

April 27, 2023 | Juan Pedro Tomas

In Brazil, the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) said a group of researchers from Brazil’s State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) have cultivated microalgae in a laboratory setting under carefully controlled conditions. Their primary aim was to harness the metabolites, particularly lipids, produced by these microorganisms to create biofuels. Luisa Fernanda Ríos, one of the authors […]

Chinese researchers develop family of eco-friendly bio-based glass

April 26, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In China, a research group from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a family of eco-friendly glass of biological origin fabricated from biologically derived amino acids or peptides. The proposed glass is biodegradable and biorecyclable. In this study, the researchers used chemically modified amino acids and peptides […]

Colorado State University chemists create synthetic PHA platform

April 25, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In Colorado, they’ve been called “dream” plastics: polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Already the basis of a fledgling industry, they’re a class of polymers naturally created by living microorganisms, or synthetically produced from biorenewable feedstocks. They’re biodegradable in the ambient environment, including oceans and soil. But there’s a reason PHAs haven’t taken off as a sustainable, environmentally […]

South Korean researchers produce bioplastics from CO2

April 24, 2023 | Meghan Sapp

In South Korea, among the various methods of recycling CO2, the electrochemical CO2 conversion technology is a technology that can convert CO2 into useful chemical substances using electrical energy. Since it is easy to operate facilities and can use the electricity from renewable sources like the solar cells or the wind power, it has received […]

Blue Ocean Closures enters Swedish research project to replace metal jar lids with biobased materials

April 21, 2023 | Juan Pedro Tomas

In the Netherlands, Food Ingredients reported that Sweden-based Blue Ocean Closures, Swed-jam and the Research Institutes of Sweden are partnering in a research project to replace metal lids with fiber-based alternatives. The project is funded by Vinnova’s BioInnovation program to research and develop packaging substitutes using bio-based materials. Blue Ocean Closures noted that for some […]

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