Greener PET from engineered bacteria
Bacteria have been engineered to make aromatic dicarboxylic acids, similar to those from petrochemicals, needed for high-performance polymers. One of the most common plastics is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), used in plastic bottles and fibres for polyester fabric. The monomers include terephthalic acid (benzene 1,4-dicarboxylic acid).
AstraZeneca's fast pandemic vaccine response
The world was caught totally unprepared for the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019-20, which spread rapidly around the globe. The pharma sector, however, responded rapidly to the challenge with AstraZeneca, among others, involved in the development and delivery of a vaccine in a very short time scale.
Using waste carpet to make concrete stronger
Waste carpet material and other textiles could be used to make stronger and more crack-resistant concrete, Australian researchers claim.
A new route to polystyrene waste recycling
A German team has reported a new route to recycling polystyrene waste. This plastic is widely used in packaging and construction, yet suffers a low recycling rate of 1% and represents around one-third of the content of landfills around the world.
Crispr repair hurdles
On the face of it, gene editing is the perfect tool for correcting small DNA mutations that cause serious genetic diseases.
EU falls behind in life science investment
While life sciences investors opt for the EU over the US for early-stage development of pharmaceuticals, they favour the US for later stage investments, according to a new report.
Four changes that could help tackle plastic waste
A new study predicts global plastic waste will double by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario.
Designing better liquid-repellent surfaces
Research into the balance between material properties and structure has provided a new perspective into designing highly efficient, liquid-repellent surfaces. The findings could lead to the development of advanced surface designs with tailored wetting properties.
Finding a new path for chemical testing
A government report has advised the UK to modernise its chemical testing and transition away from animal testing. The UK is well positioned to adopt NAMs (new approach methodologies) and rise to global leadership in chemical regulation, it concluded.
Meta-organic frameworks to catch hot CO2 from flue gas
Researchers in California have designed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to snag CO2 molecules from flue gas at temperatures above 200°C. The porous structure of MOFs are ideal for catching molecules, including gas at extremely low temperatures, but they struggle with gas sorption at higher temperatures due to the high entropy cost of binding gases to a surface.