NSF Convergence Accelerator Track E: Nereid Biomaterials: Biodegradable plastics for tomorrow’s ocean

该项目的重点是科学、商船和国防部门使用的一次性、消耗性海洋仪器。这些仪器在使用寿命结束后很长一段时间就会作为废物堆积起来。仪器制造商渴望找到专门设计的创新解决方案，既能满足蓝色经济的物质需求，又能保护海洋。该项目涉及一个由材料科学家、微生物学家和海洋学家组成的跨学科团队，他们跨行业、学术界和政府合作开发海洋可降解塑料，包括嵌入细菌和酶的产品，可以加速海水中的生物降解。该项目支持一项强有力的学术产业实习计划，重点是从历史上 STEM 领域代表性不足的人群中招募学生。 Nereid 的海洋可降解材料基于生物聚合物聚羟基丁酸酯 (PHB)，由废弃甲烷气体可持续生产。由于 PHB 是细菌天然产生的化合物，因此许多海洋细菌已经进化到可以将 PHB 完全降解为二氧化碳和水，而不会产生微塑料或其他有害副产品。通过结合嵌入天然微生物、孢子或酶的创新“活性材料”，该项目旨在控制和触发各种仪器应用的降解。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project’s focus is on single-use, expendable ocean instruments used by the scientific, merchant marine and defense sectors. These instruments are left to accumulate as waste long after their useful life. Instrument manufacturers are eager for purpose-built, innovative solutions that can meet the material needs of the Blue Economy, while protecting the ocean. This project involves an interdisciplinary team of material scientists, microbiologists, and oceanographers working across industry, academia, and government to develop ocean-degradable plastics, including products with embedded bacteria and enzymes that can accelerate biodegradation in seawater. The project supports a robust academic-industry internship program focused on recruitment of students from populations historically underrepresented in STEM. Nereid’s ocean-degradable materials are based on the biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), sustainably produced from waste methane gas. Because PHB is a compound naturally made by bacteria, many marine bacteria have evolved to fully degrade PHB to carbon dioxide and water, without the creation of microplastics or other harmful byproducts. Through incorporation of innovative “living materials” embedded with naturally-occurring microbes, spores or enzymes, the project aims to control and trigger degradation for a wide range of instrument applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.