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Your search for “Biodegradable materials” returned 37 results

A Step Up

September 26, 2022

The world’s first biodegradable shoe is from UC San Diego.

Sustainable Sneakers: UC San Diego Scientists Create the World’s First Biodegradable Shoe

April 21, 2022

…Create the World’s First Biodegradable Shoe Stephen Mayfield, Michael Burkart and Robert Pomeroy to launch their algae-based shoes through the company Blueview Stephen Mayfield, a molecular biology professor at UC San Diego, now has a stake in the business of footwear alongside partners Michael Burkart and Robert Pomeroy from the…

A Sea Change for Plastic Pollution: New Material Biodegrades in Ocean Water

September 22, 2022

Seeking solutions to counteract a rapid rise in plastic trash, scientists at UC San Diego have developed biodegradable material that is designed to replace conventionally used plastic. In a new study, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has shown that the material biodegrades in seawater.

Say Hello to Biodegradable Microplastics

March 21, 2024

Finding viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics and microplastics has never been more important. New research from scientists at UC San Diego and Algenesis shows that their plant-based polymers biodegrade — even at the microplastic level — in under seven months.

New Science Behind Algae-based Flip-flops

August 6, 2020

…Science Behind Algae-based Flip-flops Biodegradable shoes meet commercial standards for products needed to help eradicate tons of plastic waste Commerical-quality biodegradable flip-flops. Photo courtesy of Stephen Mayfield, UC San Diego. As the world’s most popular shoe, flip-flops account for a troubling percentage of plastic waste that ends up in landfills,…

Rethink, Rewrite, Redefine—How Biodegradable Plastics Are Reshaping Sustainability

June 1, 2023

Researchers at UC San Diego have spent many years developing a biodegradable plastic alternative made from algae. A new book, published by Elsevier, details the basic science of creating bio-based polymers, lifecycle assessments and a techno-economic analysis.

UC San Diego Forging a Sustainable Future with Renewable Products

August 6, 2020

…and new center for biodegradable goods target environmental scourge of plastic waste Although they were introduced back in the 1950s, the true dawn of plastics is rooted in the 1970s. Along with disco and bellbottoms, the ’70s ushered in a meteoric rise in everyday consumer plastics. Single-use straws, product packaging,…

New Nano Materials Inspired by Bird Feathers Play with Light to Create Color

May 13, 2015

Inspired by the way iridescent bird feathers play with light, scientists have created thin films of material in a wide range of pure colors — from red to green — with hues determined by physical structure rather than pigments.

Micromotors Push Around Single Cells and Particles

October 25, 2019

A new type of micromotor—powered by ultrasound and steered by magnets—can move around individual cells and microscopic particles in crowded environments without damaging them. It can also be controlled to move over 3D obstacles. The work could open up new possibilities for nanomedicine.

Four UC San Diego Faculty Receive NIH New Innovator Awards

October 6, 2015

Four professors at UC San Diego will receive New Innovator Awards from the National Institutes of Health of approximately $2.2 million over the next five years to support their “unusually innovative research,” the NIH announced today.

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