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

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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.