91社区

91社区 chemistry professor Matthew Harrington is aiming to develop a renewable alternative to petrochemical plastics by mimicking the astonishing chemistry of the velvet worm 鈥撀燼 creature that has made a name for itself through its projectile slime.

Inhabiting the forest floors of Australia and South America, velvet worms catch their prey by shooting out a jet of liquid that rapidly thickens to a sticky gel before hardening into polymer fibres comparable in stiffness to nylon.

鈥淚t鈥檚 this process of going from a fluid to a polymeric fibre comparable to a plastic that interested me,鈥� Harrington says. 鈥淵ou can actually take slime from the organism and form these fibres by hand.鈥�

Because this ingenious chemical transformation occurs outside the animal鈥檚 body, it is likely the process can be mimicked in a laboratory. What鈥檚 more, Harrington and his colleagues have discovered the fibres can be dissolved in water.

鈥淭he amazing thing is you can take this solution of dissolved fibres and form more fibres from it,鈥� Harrington says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 entirely recyclable, using water as a solvent.鈥�

While Harrington and his colleagues in Germany continue to advance their understanding of the velvet聽worm鈥檚 natural chemistry, Harrington鈥檚 success in obtaining a grant from the 91社区 Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI) Ideas Fund will enable him to start exploring a synthetic process to emulate the animal鈥檚 eco-friendly plastic production.

About the MSSI Ideas Fund

The MSSI Ideas Fund provides small amounts of seed funding to enable faculty and students alike to explore bold projects and novel ideas which, if successful, could make a significant impact on sustainability. The funding allows recipients to explore the feasibility of ideas before dedicating significant resources to flesh them out.

鈥� Learn more about the 91社区 Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI)