Lignin breakthrough unlocks cost-competitive, carbon-neutral jet fuel

A simple, cheap pretreatment promises to radically cut the price of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from waste wood biomass – potentially making it cost-competitive with fossil-based jet fuel, while cutting down emissions by up to 80%.Continue Rea… Continue reading Lignin breakthrough unlocks cost-competitive, carbon-neutral jet fuel

Sustainable process turns sewage sludge into high-value activated carbon

Researchers have developed a simplified, sustainable method of converting sewage sludge from wastewater treatment into high-value activated carbon that can be used in a wide range of industrial and residential applications.Continue ReadingCategory: Mat… Continue reading Sustainable process turns sewage sludge into high-value activated carbon

Synthetic microbes gang up to safely smash weeds and fuel wheat growth

Herbicides were touted as ‘miracle’ chemicals when they changed farming practices forever in the late 1940s, but researchers are now desperate to find a more sustainable, soil-friendly and non-toxic way of wrangling weeds while promoting crop growth. N… Continue reading Synthetic microbes gang up to safely smash weeds and fuel wheat growth

Artificial spider gland spins scalable spider silk just like nature

The complex molecular structure of spider silk has been successfully copied as scientists spin silk from an artificial gland that mimics nature’s process of producing one of the world’s toughest fibers. Scientists believe this breakthrough is a huge st… Continue reading Artificial spider gland spins scalable spider silk just like nature

Wood-eating shipworms may soon be farmed for shipworm-eating humans

For centuries, shipworms have vexed mariners by boring into – and consuming – the hulls of wooden ships and boats. Soon, though, we may actually be eating those “worms,” as they have successfully been farmed for the first time.Continue ReadingCategory:… Continue reading Wood-eating shipworms may soon be farmed for shipworm-eating humans

Plant-based hydrogel used to make navigable, shape-changing tiny robots

Researchers have developed a plant-based hydrogel to create shape-changing, navigable small-scale robots with potential applications in biomedicine, including conducting medical procedures such as biopsies and delivering therapeutic cargo to cells and … Continue reading Plant-based hydrogel used to make navigable, shape-changing tiny robots

Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar

For the first time, scientists have successfully produced full-length spider silk fibers using genetically modified silkworms. With high strength and toughness, this silk has the potential to provide a scalable, sustainable and better-quality alternati… Continue reading Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar

Autonomous cleaning robot brushes away solar panel dust as it rolls

Keeping panels clear of dust in large solar farms can be a time-consuming, wasteful and costly business. A Sicilian technology startup called the Reiwa Engine has developed an autonomous robot called SandStorm to reduce maintenance and cleaning costs b… Continue reading Autonomous cleaning robot brushes away solar panel dust as it rolls

Reimagine your beer can for cocktails on the go and kitsch upcycling

Topless drinking is not quite as thrilling as it sounds, but nonetheless it can be a more enjoyable way to rehydrate than simply chugging from a can. A team of creative beer enthusiasts has created an easy, portable and fun way to enhance the can exper… Continue reading Reimagine your beer can for cocktails on the go and kitsch upcycling

Bacteria recruited to build endlessly recyclable plastic

Plastic is one of the most useful materials in our modern world, but unfortunately it’s also one of the worst in a sustainability sense. Now, scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a way to engineer bacteria to produce raw materials that can be made… Continue reading Bacteria recruited to build endlessly recyclable plastic