The plastic that biodegrades in your home compost
Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 17 July 2024
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In this episode:
01:04 A gel to safely transport proteins
A gel that encases proteins could be a new way to safely transport medicines without requiring them to be kept cold, according to new research. To test it, the team behind the work posted themselves a protein suspended in this gel, showing that it was perfectly preserved and retained its activity, despite being dropped in transit and exposed to varying temperatures. The researchers hope this gel will help overcome the need to freeze protein-based medicines, which can be expensive to do and difficult to maintain during transportation.
Research Article: Bianco et al.
News and Views: Gel protects therapeutic proteins from deactivation — even in the post
08:51 Research Highlights
How an abundance of cicadas led to a host of raccoon activity, and how wine-grape harvest records can be used to estimate historical summertime temperatures
Research Highlight: Massive cicada emergence prompted raccoons to run wild
Research Highlight: Wine grapes’ sweetness reveals Europe’s climate history
11:24 Making a plastic biodegradable
By embedding a plastic with an engineered enzyme, researchers have developed a fully biodegradable material that can be broken down in a home compost heap. Plastic production often requires high temperatures, so the team adapted an enzyme to make it more able to withstand heat, while still able to break down a common plastic called PLA. They hope this enzyme-embedded plastic could replace current single-use items, helping to reduce the huge amount of waste produced each year.
Research Article: Guicherd et al.
19:53 Briefing Chat
This time, how to make lab-grown meat taste more meaty, and a subterranean Moon cave that could be a place for humans to shelter.
Nature News: This lab-grown meat probably tastes like real beef
The Guardian: Underground cave found on moon could be ideal base for explorers
Nature hits the books: Living on Mars would probably suck — here's why
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02356-y
This story originally appeared on: Nature - Author:Benjamin Thompson
