By Angela Swartz, National Geographic
Biodegradable plastic made from food waste
Bacteria like the species Cupriavidus necator synthesize PHA, a bioplastic that’s totally biodegradable, all on their own. To make PHA, scientists keep these microorganisms fat and happy with “feedstock”—usually some type of sugar like corn starch—so that they multiply and start producing PHA. That feedstock ends up accounting for a large part of production costs.
Ruihong Zhang, an agricultural engineering professor at UC Davis, is solving that problem by feeding her bacteria filtered whey, a cheese-making byproduct that’s normally discarded. Not only is it free from dairy companies—they’d normally have to pay to discard this material, so it benefits them as well.There’s also year-round supply of it, unlike other more seasonal agricultural items, Zhang says.
Read more at National Geographic.