University of Connecticut
According to a recent Phys.org article, chemist Challa Kumar, a professor emeritus of chemistry, has developed two technologies to address the global issue of plastic waste. The first involves transforming naturally occurring proteins into plastic-like materials with a unique 3D structure. The protein-based material is biodegradable, breaking down within a few days in acidic solutions, and can be tailored for various applications such as coffee cup lids, transparent films, fire-resistant roof tiles, car doors, rocket cone tips, and heart valves.
