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 ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 4, 2024
0
44
Researchers at Imperial College London have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 3, 2024
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161
An international team of biotechnologists and evolutionary specialists has discovered three types of bacteria in the human gut that help to break down cellulose. In their project, reported in the journal Science, the group ...
Hairy bittercress is one of those plants that hurl their seeds in all directions to spread them effectively. A research team has now discovered that to do this, the plant uses a previously unknown mechanism that makes the ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 15, 2024
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17
Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Brazil have developed a sustainable sensor that can be placed directly on the surface of a vegetable or fruit to detect the ...
Biotechnology
Feb 2, 2024
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355
A new sandwich-structured composite has been developed from the surface layers of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and the interlayer of polylactic acid and cellulose microfibers. The biodegradable cellulose microfibers can be ...
Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a significant role in membrane production for water purification and bio-separation, with capacity to create new and cleverly designed structures.
Scientists from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have synthesized an oxygen-coordinated Fe single atom and atom cluster catalyst that exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance ...
Analytical Chemistry
Nov 24, 2023
0
105
A research team in Japan, led by Nagoya University's Akira Yokoi, has developed an innovative technique using cellulose nanofiber (CNF) sheets derived from wood cellulose to capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from fluid ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 8, 2023
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57
Wood is the source for a brick-breaking mini robotic muscle material developed by researchers in Sweden and Germany. The material—a specially-developed hydrogel—can shape-shift, expand and contract on demand when controlled ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 27, 2023
0
115
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula (C6H10O5)n, a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4) linked D-glucose units.
Cellulose is the structural component of the primary cell wall of green plants, many forms of algae and the oomycetes. Some species of bacteria secrete it to form biofilms. Cellulose is the most common organic compound on Earth. About 33 percent of all plant matter is cellulose (the cellulose content of cotton is 90 percent and that of wood is 50 percent).
For industrial use, cellulose is mainly obtained from wood pulp and cotton. It is mainly used to produce cardboard and paper; to a smaller extent it is converted into a wide variety of derivative products such as cellophane and rayon. Converting cellulose from energy crops into biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol is under investigation as an alternative fuel source.
Some animals, particularly ruminants and termites, can digest cellulose with the help of symbiotic micro-organisms that live in their guts. Cellulose is not digestible by humans and is often referred to as 'dietary fiber' or 'roughage', acting as a hydrophilic bulking agent for feces.
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