The retrieval procedure was not described, but once on hand, the DNA was extracted and mixed with a vegetable oil component to produce a hydrogel. After removing moisture and freeze-drying, the team was left with a plastic-like substance, which they fashioned into a cup, among other prototypes.
“To the best of our knowledge, our reported DNA plastics are the most environmentally sustainable materials of any known plastics,” study lead Dayong Yang told The Times, as reported by Iflscience.com. Compared to polystyrene, the salmon-sperm bioplastic resulted in 97% fewer carbon emissions.
The work was published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.