Machine learning to predict how fast biodegradable plastics break down in nature

Jul, Tue, 2026
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Testing how quickly a biodegradable plastic actually breaks down in the environment can take months, sometimes years, of lab work. A new study from the Agricultural University of Athens, offers a faster alternative: a machine-learning tool that predicts biodegradation outcomes for a widely used bioplastic almost instantly.

Machine learning to predict how fast biodegradable plastics break down in nature
Testing how quickly a biodegradable plastic actually breaks down in the environment can take months, sometimes years, of lab work. A new study from the Agricultural University of Athens, offers a faster alternative: a machine-learning tool that predicts biodegradation outcomes for a widely used bioplastic almost instantly.
Wasted pumpkin peel can keep your food fresh
Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a new food preservation solution. Using pumpkin peel as a raw material, they synthesized a nanomaterial for food packaging that slows the deterioration of fruit and other produce while reducing transport damage. The findings were published April 30, 2026, in Food Research International.
Light flips bacterial signaling enzyme between two shapes, unlocking how signals travel
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change in asymmetry. With their new study, the researchers contribute to a better understanding of a central mechanism of bacterial signal processing. This may help develop new tools for biomedicine or biotechnology. The findings are reported in the journal Science Advances.
Single-atom catalyst turns lignin into valuable chemicals with near-complete conversion
Researchers at The University of Manchester and Hebei University of Technology have identified how a new class of catalyst can break down lignin into useful chemical building blocks, offering a more sustainable route to replace fossil-based materials.
PFAS in most medicines can be replaced with alternatives
Certain medicines contain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, known as PFAS, which are causing increasing environmental harm because of their long-lasting effects. A study published in Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy by the University of Freiburg, commissioned by the German Environment Agency, shows that many PFAS-based active ingredients used in medicines can be replaced by alternative active ingredients. Based on the report's findings, doctors will in the future be able to give preference to prescribing PFAS-free medicines, where this is appropriate from a therapeutic point of view.