Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass

Researchers create game-changing solution for common problem on grocery store shelves — here are the details

A new biodegradable bioplastic has been manufactured to counter plastic waste in the produce aisle. The ideal application is to use it for fruit punnets, baskets commonly used for berries and smaller produce. Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia have designed a biodegradable packaging material made from bacteria-derived polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) mixed with the wood fibers of Radiata pine sawdust.  The resulting materi…

Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass

Scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston have created a powerful new material by guiding bacteria to grow cellulose in aligned patterns, resulting in sheets with the strength of metals and the flexibility of plastic—without the pollution. Using a spinning bioreactor, they’ve turned Earth’s purest biopolymer into a high-performance alternative to plastic, capable of carrying heat, integrating advanced nanomaterials, and transfo…