The latest news about safe, sustainable and bio-based materials and products

USDA Releases New Guide for Animal Genomics

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a new guide for research and funding in animal genomics for 2018-2027.

Sustainability, RegulationJames EdeJuly 10, 2019USDA, USDA Releases New Guide for Animal Genomics, "Genome to Phenome: Improving Animal Health, Production and Well-Being", Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Iowa State UniversityComment

Paper-Based Scaffolding for Culturing Tissue Vasculature

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have discovered a way to create paper-based cell culture scaffolds that model tissue vasculature.

InnovationJames EdeJuly 8, 2019Paper-Based Scaffolding for Culturing Tissue Vasculature, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 3D printing hydrophobic paraffin wax, bacterial cellulose hydrogel matrixComment

Governments Agree to Global Ban on PFOA at UN Meeting

Governments agreed to a global ban of PFOA - a persistent pollutant with known harmful effects on health and the environment - during the 9th Conference of the Parties (COP9) of the Stockholm Convention.

Leadership, Policy, RegulationJames EdeJuly 2, 2019Vireo Advisors, PFOA, 9th Conference of the Parties (COP9), Stockholm ConventionComment

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Publishes "Toxicological effects of ingested nanocellulose in in vitro intestinal epithelium and in vivo rat models "

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have published findings that demonstrate ingested nanocellulose has little acute toxicity when gavaged at low doses.

Nanomaterials, Risk AnalysisJames EdeJune 26, 2019Vireo Advisors, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), DeLoid, ingested nanocellulose, purified cellulose fibrils (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), Vireo-led Food Safety Study, in vitro, cell triculture model, five-week in vivo feeding study, cellulose nanomaterials in a 90-day feeding study, cellulose nanomaterial safety for food-related applicationsComment

Jo Anne Shatkin Receives the 2019 TAPPI Nano Division Leadership and Service Award

Vireo Advisors Founder and President Jo Anne Shatkin received the 2019 TAPPI Nanotechnology Division Leadership and Service Award in Chiba, Japan, on June 5 in recognition of her contributions toward establishing the safety of cellulose nanomaterials.

PET-Degrading Enzymes Discovered

Scientists have discovered enzymes capable of degrading polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Environment, InnovationJames EdeMay 20, 2019PET-Degrading Enzymes Discovered, Ideonella sakaiensis PETase and MHETase, recycle PET, polyethylene terephthalate, mono-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET), MHET to terephthalate, ethylene glycolComment

Report on Need for Plastics Recycling

A recent report on “Accelerating the Circular Supply Chain for Plastics” highlights the need to address plastics pollution by capitalizing on technologies that convert waste plastics into other materials.

Innovation, Sustainability, EnvironmentJames EdeMay 17, 2019plastics recycling, Accelerating the Circular Supply Chain for Plastics, plastics pollution, convert waste plastics into other materials, purification, decomposition and conversion technologiesComment

PrimaLoft Developing Biodegradable Polyesters

PrimaLoft has developed a recycled polyester polymer with an attached simple sugar to enhance the material’s susceptibility to biodegradation.

InnovationJames EdeMay 15, 2019PrimaLoft, recycled polyester polymer, biodegradation, L. L. BeanComment

LEGO Bricks used to provide Structure to Lab-Grown Meat

Researchers from Penn State and the University of Alabama have described the use of LEGO bricks to solve a common problem facing lab-grown meat—lack of structural support.

InnovationJames EdeMay 13, 2019lab-grown meat, LEGOs, LEGO bricks, Penn State, University of Alabama, structural support, Food Hydrocolloids, bio-degradable, edible starch scaffoldingComment

Carbon Nanotubes Produced using Renewable Biomass

Scientists from the University of Science and Technology Liaoning, China have published a report in Energy Conversion and Management that demonstrates the use of renewable biomass for production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

Nanomaterials, SustainabilityJames EdeMay 10, 2019University of Science and Technology Liaoning, China, Energy Conversion and Management, Carbon Nanotubes Produced using Renewable Biomass, cellulose or lignin, Palm Kernel Shells (PKS)Comment