Super-microbes engineered to solve world environmental problems

Environmental problems, such as depleting natural resources, highlight the need to establish a renewable chemical industry. Metabolic engineering enhances the production of chemicals made by microbes in so-called "cell factories". ...

Synthetic biology to help colonize Mars

Shannon Nangle finished her PhD ready to take on a new challenge and set her sights on research to help make Mars colonization possible. But she isn't pursuing research on rocket fuels or space suits. She's using synthetic ...

Biodegradable aerogel: Airy cellulose from a 3D printer

At first glance, biodegradable materials, inks for 3D printing and aerogels don't seem to have much in common. All three have great potential for the future; however, "green" materials do not pollute the environment, 3D printing ...

As strong as an insect's shell

Harvard researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have come up with a tough, low-cost, biodegradable material inspired by insects’ hard outer shells. The material’s inventors say it ...

Is there any point in recycling?

To sort or not to sort, that is the question. Lots of people wonder whether it's really worth their time and effort to separate, wash and store recyclable materials – especially if it takes more energy to recycle, or if ...

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