Latest news with #RIKEN
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater
Scientists in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in say the new material breaks down quickly in around two to three hours, depending on its thickness and size. Many existing biodegradable plastics aren't able to fully dissolve, leaving behind harmful microplastics that can pollute the ocean and harm it's hoped that the new non-toxic material could offer a future solution as it disappears completely. What have scientists developed? The new plastic was co-developed by the University of Tokyo in Japan and the country's RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS). Researchers say it is made by combining two small molecules which form a strong bond that allows the new material to stay tough and scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, the team say their invention breaks down much more quickly and leaves no placed in a mixture which had the same amount of salt as seawater, they found the new plastic dissolved "quickly in about two to three hours, depending on its thickness and size."And it's not just in water where the new plastic can dissolve. Takuzo Aida, lead researcher at CEMS, explained: "Similarly, when tested in soil..a piece of plastic about 5 centimetres in size, it completely disappears after a little over 200 hours." Plastic pollution is a big global problem, with experts at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) saying the amount of waste is set to triple in the next 15 studies have shown the damage microplastics cause as they pollute the environment and create health problems for animals, because they can be easily new plastic is still in the early phase of development but Mr Aida said their research has attracted a lot of interest, including from those in the packaging added: "In Japan, almost all packaging is made of plastic, and if we can really manage to reduce that, we can expect less environmental damage." Currently, less than 9% of global plastic waste is successfully recycled.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Insects turned into chemical reactors, help make high-tech materials from nanocarbons
Researchers at Japan's RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) and Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have transformed insects into living chemical reactors. Led by Kenichiro Itami, the team developed a technique called 'in-insect synthesis' that uses insects to build and modify complex molecules—something that's incredibly difficult with current laboratory methods. This technique could revolutionize how scientists produce nanocarbons—molecules made entirely of carbon atoms. These nanostructures are strong, conductive, and can glow under certain conditions, making them ideal for aerospace, battery technology, and advanced electronics. But they're notoriously hard to manufacture and modify with precision. "Our team has been conducting research on molecular nanocarbons, but along with that, we've also developed molecules that act on mammals and plants,' says Itami. 'Through those experiences, we suddenly wondered — what would happen if we fed nanocarbons to insects?' To test their hypothesis, the researchers turned to a common pest: the tobacco cutworm caterpillar. These insects, often considered a menace in agriculture, have a powerful digestive system built to handle toxic plant compounds and pesticides. Their guts contain enzymes capable of performing complex chemical reactions, which made them ideal candidates for this experiment. The team fed the caterpillars a molecular nanocarbon known as [6]MCPP—a belt-shaped molecule. Just two days later, the caterpillars had digested the compound and produced a new version of it, now called [6]MCPP-oxylene. This new molecule included an oxygen atom, which made it fluorescent. That transformation was no accident. The team ran the caterpillar droppings through a full suite of tests: mass spectrometry, NMR, and X-ray crystallography. These revealed the exact structure of the altered molecule and confirmed that it was a successful chemical conversion. The breakthrough came when molecular biology techniques identified two specific enzymes—CYP X2 and CYP X3—as the catalysts for this transformation. Genetic analysis confirmed their critical role in the reaction. 'It is extremely difficult to reproduce the chemical reactions occurring inside insects in a laboratory setting,' Itami explains. 'Lab-based attempts at this oxidation reaction failed or had very low yields.' Further computer simulations showed how these enzymes manage the reaction. They could bind two [6]MCPP-oxylene molecules and directly insert an oxygen atom into a carbon–carbon bond. This is not just rare—it's never been seen before in this context. It's a type of precision that modern chemistry still struggles to achieve. This novel approach is more than just a quirky lab experiment. It opens a whole new direction in how we create useful materials. 'True to the philosophy of the PRI, this work pioneers a new direction in materials science: making functional molecules using insects,' stated Itami. By using enzymes, microbes, or even entire insects instead of traditional glassware and chemicals, researchers can build complex structures that would otherwise be too expensive or too inefficient to make in the lab. Tools like CRISPR and directed evolution could allow scientists to further optimize this process—essentially programming insects to manufacture new types of molecules for everything from glowing sensors to drug components. And while these caterpillars are typically viewed as villains in agriculture due to their ability to destroy crops and resist pesticides, the study casts them in a completely different light. 'The tobacco cutworm is a notorious agricultural pest because of its rapid life cycle and exceptional ability to metabolize pesticides, earning them a reputation as global villains in the crop protection industry,' says Itami. 'And yet, what we find truly fascinating, is that in our project, these very moths took on an unexpected role—not as adversaries, but as unlikely heroes.' The study was published in the journal Science.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Science
- Malay Mail
Plastic that melts away in hours: Japan's ocean pollution game-changer
WAKO (Japan), June 5 — Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. 'Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment,' Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimetres (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added. — Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours
The UN has predicted that plastic pollution will triple by 2040, adding 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste to the world's oceans each year. (LinkedIn pic) WAKO : Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste into the world's oceans each year. 'Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment,' Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. 'As salt is also present in soil, a piece about 5cm in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours,' he added. 'The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods,' Aida said. 'The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide,' he added.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics, but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimeters (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.
