https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In a significant breakthrough for the cosmetics industry, researchers have developed a new type of sunscreen using lignin, a naturally abundant polymer, and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The study, led by Yarong Li and Zhiguang Tang, was published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts and details the innovative use of a dual-modified lignin sub-microsphere to enhance the SPF and improve the color of sunscreens. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-lignin-based-sunscreen-natural-high.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:09:39 EDT news646585773 A new, biomass-based material developed by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers can be used to repeatedly capture and release carbon dioxide. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-biomass-based-polymer-capture-co8322.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:01:03 EDT news643906861 Lignocellulosic biomass, such as paper mulberry, holds promise for sustainable material production due to its cost-effectiveness and renewability. However, optimizing lignin composition remains challenging due to its complex structure and varied composition, impacting the efficiency and quality of resulting porous carbon materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-carbon-potential-crispr-boosts-lignocellulose.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:20:01 EDT news641462487 Soil organic carbon (SOC) can be divided into plant-derived and microbial-derived carbon. Studying the latitudinal variation of these two sources and their controlling factors is critical to understanding SOC persistence and stabilization. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveals-latitude-patterns-factors-microbial.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:40:01 EDT news639304996 Tea, one of the oldest and most popular beverages, is cherished for its economic, medicinal, and cultural value. The quality of tea largely depends on the tenderness of young tea shoots, which are high in bioactive compounds. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-harvesting-strength-tea-disease-staying.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:00:01 EDT news639050462 Lignin, the glue that holds fibers together in trees and plants, is one of the most common yet one of the most complex biocomposites, because there are so many variants and qualities. Its heterogeneous chemical structure makes it difficult to investigate its exact composition. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-green-solvent-boost-lignin-applications.html Biochemistry Thu, 27 Jun 2024 08:07:33 EDT news638694451 There is an old saying in the biorefining industry that "You can make anything from lignin, except money." This bio-based compound is abundant and full of potential, but commercializing it remains a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-strategy-leverages-lignin-condensation-biomass.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 29 May 2024 12:23:02 EDT news636204181 Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered that a protein responsible for the synthesis of a key plant material evolved much earlier than suspected. The research published in The Plant Cell, explores the origin and evolution of the biochemical machinery that builds lignin, a structural component of plant cell walls with significant impacts on the clean energy industry. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-modern-enzyme-partners-ancient-protein.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 17 May 2024 10:54:03 EDT news635162041 Researchers at Rice University have unlocked the potential to use 3D printing to make sustainable wood structures, offering a greener alternative to traditional manufacturing methods. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-3d-wood-natural-components.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:02:03 EDT news630147721 Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is one of the main components of wood, providing structural support and rigidity to make trees strong enough to withstand the elements. When transforming wood into paper, lignin is a key ingredient that must be removed, and it often becomes waste. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-wood-sustainable.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:55:39 EDT news629996137 Lignin is an abundant natural polymer which is eliminated as a byproduct in the pulp and paper industry. A recent review article explored different microbial processes available for sustainable lignin valorization, yielding not only environmental but also economic benefits. The article was published in the journal BioDesign Research. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-valorization-depolymerized-lignin-microorganisms.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:39:46 EDT news629462384 Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as promising candidates for enhancing sun protection in cosmetics, offering superior UV-blocking capabilities compared to soluble lignin oligomers. However, the effects of the chemical structures of constituting lignin oligomers in LNPs and the particle size distribution of LNPs need further investigation. Additionally, the raw materials used in these works were mainly technical lignin, whose structures significantly changed during the extraction process, making them unsuitable for studying the structural effect of UV-blocking. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-harnessing-nature-shield-sun-lignin.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:41:29 EDT news629383287 Sustainable and environmentally friendly production processes are playing an increasingly important role in almost all branches of industry. The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in particular involves the use of various materials and reagents, many of which have environmentally harmful properties and therefore require costly processing and disposal. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-green-pharmaceutical-production-wood.html Biochemistry Materials Science Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:02:27 EST news619354940 Researchers have discovered a protein that seals plant roots to regulate the uptake of nutrients and water from the soil, the discovery could help develop climate proof crops that require less water and chemical fertilizers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-protein-root-discovery-future-climate-proof.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:44:03 EDT news617622241 Plant biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have engineered enzymes to modify grass plants so their biomass can be more efficiently converted into biofuels and other bioproducts. As described in a paper published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, these enzymes modify molecules that make up plant cell walls to provide access to fuel-generating sugars normally locked within complex structures. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-enzymes-generate-biomass-optimized-conversion.html Biotechnology Agriculture Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:07:08 EDT news617620025 As Halloween approaches, so too does the anticipation of a trick-or-treating stash filled with fun-sized chocolate candy bars. But to satisfy our collective craving for this indulgence, millions of cocoa pods are harvested annually. While the beans and pulp go to make chocolate, their husks are thrown away. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering show that cocoa pod husks could be a useful starting material for flame retardants. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cocoa-podsa-source-chocolate-potentially.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:22:12 EDT news616771330 Using a small bird's nest-making process as a model, researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a nontoxic process for making cellulose gels. The freeze-thaw process is simple, cost-effective, and can create cellulose gels that are useful in a number of applications, including tunable gels for timed drug delivery. The process also works with bamboo and potentially other lignin-containing plant fibers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mimicking-bird-sticky-cellulose-gels.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:23:02 EDT news616688581 As much as 300 to 500 billion tons of biochar are reported to be in soil, sediment and aquatic habitats in China. The discovery of photocatalytic activity of biochar opens up a new frontier in understanding how this substance affects and regulates geochemical processes related to key environmental elements. However, the biomass sources and pyrolysis temperatures can significantly affect the biochar structure, leading to substantial variability. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-reveal-photocatalytic-crvi-cellulose-lignin-rich.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:22:02 EDT news615039721 Researchers have developed a way to turn a waste material from wood into a bio-based transparent film that can be used for anti-fogging or anti-reflective coatings on glasses or vehicle windows. In addition to offering an alternative to the toxic synthetic materials currently used, this approach transforms a waste product into a valuable carbon sink. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-coatings-wood-by-product-glasses-windshields.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:11:54 EDT news614938205 Woody biomass and wheat straw are all sources of the natural polymer lignin with more than 50 megatons of lignin produced annually at commercial scale. However, most is burned to produce energy, which alternatively could be used to make useful chemicals. A major issue with producing chemicals from lignin is that the properties of lignin vary from source to source and from season to season. Such variability can affect the yield and quality of the chemicals produced from lignin. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-valorize-lignin-bio-based-applications.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:50:44 EDT news614353841 Nebraska researchers are converting plant wastes into antimicrobial agents that could help prevent pathogenic infections and death while significantly lowering the cost of antimicrobial treatments and being a boon to the bioeconomy. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-antimicrobial-agents-pathogenic-infections.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:44:04 EDT news613820641 Researchers who manipulate lignin, a molecular fiber that allows plants to grow tall and transport water, unexpectedly discovered its synthesis has more far-reaching effects on plant development than previously suspected. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-important-role-chemical-compounds.html Biochemistry Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:44:06 EDT news610627440 A novel method to extract lignin could help spin wheat straw into gold. Lignin produced using the new method was color-neutral, odorless and homogenous, an advance that could make this carbon-neutral material a more viable candidate for development of high-value products. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-lignin-method-renewable-material-profitable.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:00:01 EDT news610015120 Researchers at North Carolina State University used a CRISPR gene-editing system to breed poplar trees with reduced levels of lignin, the major barrier to sustainable production of wood fibers, while improving their wood properties. The findings—published in the journal Science—hold promise to make fiber production for everything from paper to diapers greener, cheaper and more efficient. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-forest-tree-crispr-gene.html Biotechnology Thu, 13 Jul 2023 14:00:01 EDT news608441889 Lignin depolymerization is playing a pivotal role in transforming the second most abundant type of biopolymer in nature into many valuable chemicals/fuels. This route could directly replace their petrol-based equivalents and therefore presents a great pathway to fight climate change and contribute to future sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-perspective-oligomeric-products-lignin-depolymerization.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:38:04 EDT news601133881 Climate projection requires an accurate understanding for the decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its response to warming. However, the wide array of organic molecules in the soil exhibits distinct chemical structures and kinetic properties, making it difficult to unravel the conundrum of SOC stability and response to warming. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-evidence-fast-lignin-high-temperature.html Ecology Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:16:03 EDT news599310961 It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. In this case, the "job" is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth, lignin surrounds valuable plant fibers and other molecules that could be converted into biofuels and other commodity chemicals—if we could only get past that rigid plant cell wall. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-tough-woody-lignin-broken-anaerobic.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 Mar 2023 13:28:38 EST news597590915 It is well known that light stimulates the breakdown of plant material and other biomass in nature, but it has not been clear exactly how. Recently, researchers at NMBU have uncovered possible explanations. Their latest findings have just been published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-role-enzymatic-breakdown-biomass.html Biochemistry Tue, 07 Mar 2023 09:06:02 EST news597402361 Huge amounts of technical or Kraft lignin are formed during pulp production. This lignin is difficult to process and so is usually just incinerated for heat production. A team of researchers, reporting in the journal Angewandte Chemie, have now succeeded in developing a green method for recovering the flavoring agent vanillin from this raw material. The materials used in this method are all recycled from papermaking processes, and only power and heat need to be added. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-green-method-vanillin-technical-lignin.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:39:06 EST news596385544 Lignin is arguably the most abundant component of biomass that most people have never heard of. That may be about to change. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-abundant-lignin-plastic-recycled.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:26:04 EST news596197561