Artificial photosynthesis for environmentally friendly food production

Researchers produce important amino acid from greenhouse gas CO₂

03-May-2023 - Ensuring the supply of food to the constantly growing world population and protecting the environment at the same time are often conflicting objectives. Now researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have successfully developed a method for the synthetic manufacture of nutritional ...

Bioinspired protein creates stretchable 2D layered materials

27-Jul-2022 - Nature creates layered materials like bone and mother-of-pearl that become less sensitive to defects as they grow. Now researchers have created, using biomimetic proteins patterned on squid ring teeth, composite layered 2D materials that are resistant to breaking and extremely ...

Plant stress transformed into rapid tests for dangerous chemicals

Inexpensive method detects synthetic cannabinoids, banned pesticides

23-Jun-2022 - Scientists have modified proteins involved in plants’ natural response to stress, making them the basis of innovative tests for multiple chemicals, including banned pesticides and deadly, synthetic cannabinoids. During drought, plants produce ABA, a hormone that helps them hold on to water. ...

Light-powered microbes are super-producing chemical factories

New method allows bacteria to use light for external energy to accelerate biomanufacturing of target compounds without disrupting the host microorganism's natural metabolism

14-Apr-2022 - Sharing is key to living in society, whether it’s toddlers sharing toys or nations sharing natural resources; but there’s no avoiding the fact that one side getting more means that the other side gets less. Now, researchers from Osaka University, in collaboration with the University of Shizuoka ...

Methane-eating bacteria convert greenhouse gas to fuel

State-of-the-art method reveals never-before-seen atomic structures controlling the process

21-Mar-2022 - Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit ...

Strong and elastic, yet degradable: protein-based bioplastics

Relief for Oceans and Landfills?

16-Feb-2022 - More than eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year—a serious danger for the environment and health. Biodegradable bioplastics could provide an alternative. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team has now introduced a new method for the production of protein-based ...

Maize and milk proteins can replace fossil fuels and metals in the production of nanostructured surfaces

Sustainably produced nanotechnology

28-Jan-2022 - New research results from Linnaeus University opens for a future with more sustainably produced nanotechnology, where limited natural resources can be replaced with, among other things, maize and milk proteins. Nanotechnology can be found almost everywhere in our daily lives, although it is ...

Understanding enzyme evolution paves the way for green chemistry

How evolution makes designer enzymes more powerful, paving the way to tailor-made catalysts

26-Aug-2021 - Researchers at the University of Bristol have shown how laboratory evolution can give rise to highly efficient enzymes for new-to-nature reactions, opening the door for novel and more environmentally friendly ways to make drugs and other chemicals. Scientists have previously designed protein ...

Biofuels from the brewery?

Separating beer waste into proteins for foods, and fiber for biofuels

07-Apr-2021 - Home brewing enthusiasts and major manufacturers alike experience the same result of the beer-making process: mounds of leftover grain. Once all the flavor has been extracted from barley and other grains, what's left is a protein- and fiber-rich powder that is typically used in cattle feed or put ...

Vegetable proteins replace petroleum-based raw materials

Alternative binding agents in paints and varnishes

03-Mar-2021 - Just like cellulose, lignin and fats, proteins are renewable raw materials. Their potential for the chemical industry remains largely untapped. Research teams at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV are collaborating with partners to change all this, the idea being ...