Fantastic bioplastics

The cheapness, versatility and durability of plastics are undeniable, but in the booming marine Internet of Things, plastic as we know it is a toxic combination
.


A marine microbiologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said: "Just as your phone is connected to your car, computer, thermostat and doorbell, there are more and more connected devices
in the ocean.
These sensors are nodes in the growing network "blue economy" that collect and transmit data
that is important to various industries working in the marine environment, such as shipping, tourism, oil and gas, and fisheries.


Once put into use, Santoro said, the devices can no longer be recycled, which increases the amount of
plastic in the ocean.


But what if there is a way to avoid the problem of plastic pollution while benefiting from a networked ocean? This potential win-win has inspired Santoro and Anne Meyer, a synthetic biologist at the University of Rochester, Melissa Omand, an oceanographer at the University of Rhode Islands, Ryan Freedman, an ecologist at the Channel Islands National Marine Reserve, and industrial partner Mango Materials
.
Together, they are developing bioplastics
that can degrade in the ocean.
Funded by the National Science Foundation and preparing to devote themselves to the second phase of their research project, their biodegradable bioplastic was tested
.


Santoro said: "I'm really excited to turn our lab's basic research into marine microbiology into an applied problem
.
" "But most of all, I'm excited to continue working
with such a great group of people.
"

Work with nature

The basic material for this technology is the biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a natural polyester
harvested from carbon-absorbing bacteria.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is the carbon compound of choice for these microorganisms
.


"Mango Materials is culturing these bacteria in methane discharged from sewage treatment plants," Santoro said, "which is another win
.
"

She added that because these bacteria have been making this polymer for billions of years, other microbes have naturally figured out how to break it down into energy
.
This is where Santoro and the expertise of her lab come into play
.


"We are cultivating new bacteria that can break down these polymers," she said
.
One focus of their work is the isolation of bacteria that multiply in cold ocean conditions, an important factor to consider because most biodegradable plastics can only be broken down
in high-temperature composting facilities.


Developing this strategy was part of the first phase of the project, where the team also gathered input information and created a prototype
using Omand's marine sensor design expertise.


"We conducted dozens of interviews with potential end users of biodegradable plastics to understand their material needs
," Santoro said.
The team also spoke
with regulators and nonprofits working to deal with marine litter.
These discussions point the way to their research and inspire user-friendly innovation
.


She continued: "We have found that there is a huge demand for biodegradable materials and that users have certain longevity requirements for
their items.
" Some people want a material that can disappear in a day, while others want a device that can last up to a
year.
However, others they talk to hope to trigger this degradation
.


According to Santoro, the second phase involves the use of this bioplastic
in the real world.
Working with more than a dozen industry partners dedicated to using this new technology, the project team will see how their bioplastics perform under different marine conditions, and how the
materials break down.


In the second phase, the team will also use the technology developed by Meyer to refine the functionality of their product: a 3D printer for living bacterial cells for embedding or applying phb phobacters to biopolymers
.
By placing these bacteria inside or on plastic, users can choose when and how quickly
the biopolymer degrades.


In addition, the team will participate in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship courses of the National Science Foundation Fusion Accelerator, including training
in product development, intellectual property, financial resources, sustainability planning, and communications and outreach.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that the solution is sustainable with the support of the National Science Foundation and provides a positive social and economic impact
.


Meanwhile, in partnership with the UCSB Collaborating Center for Science and Engineering (CSEP), the organization plans to launch an academic-industry internship program to mentor undergraduates and train the next generation of microbiologists, materials scientists, and marine engineers
.


It's still early, Santoro said, but if all goes well, it may be time to bring their marine bioplastics to the wider world and change the way ocean plastics are
made.


"One potential avenue is commercialization," she said, "but we're exploring a lot of options
.
" ”