April 3, 2018
Polymer Film Developed to Protect Coral Reefs
Polymer Film Developed to Protect Coral Reefs
Plastic film could help protect and restore the coral reef
Scientists from the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute of Marine Science have developed a prototype film that could protect Australia’s fragile Great Barrier Reef. This thin film would sit on top of the ocean to protect the coral below from the sun. Lab tests have shown that this film blocks up to 30% of sunlight passing through, though it hasn’t yet been tested on a large scale above the reef. Warming temperatures and water pollution have been killing off the algae living in coral, causing them to “bleach”. This bleaching process is made more dire by continued sunlight. This film would protect the coral and potentially reverse the bleaching process, if it proves to be successful.
Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
April 17, 2018
Identifying Spoiled Food with Polymer Film
Scientist invent new polymer film that can identify spoiled food with the help of DNA molecules
In the past on the film blog, we’ve talked about how antimicrobial film could extend the shelf life of food. Along those lines, researchers are developing better ways to tell consumers when that shelf life has expired. Researchers at McMaster University are developing a polymer film treated with DNA molecules, which they call DNAzymes, to display when food is expired or not good to eat. These DNAzymes would react with harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, and through a phone app, consumers could see these reactions. This film is simply laser-printed onto the polymer level, and has potential applications in the medical field to determine whether equipment is sterile for use.
Check out the full article here.
Check out the full article here.
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