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

该项目的重点是科学、商业海洋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过后很长一段时间都会作为废物堆积起来。仪器制造商渴望有针对性的创新解决方案，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，他们在工业界、学术界和政府之间工作，开发可海洋降解的塑料，包括嵌入细菌和酶的产品，可以加速海水中的生物降解。该项目支持一个强大的学术行业实习计划，重点是从STEM历史上代表性不足的人群中招聘学生。Nereid的海洋可降解材料是基于生物聚合物聚羟基丁酸酯(PHB)，可持续地从废气中生产。由于PHB是一种由细菌自然产生的化合物，许多海洋细菌已经进化成完全将PHB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。通过采用嵌入自然产生的微生物、孢子或酶的创新“活材料”，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势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.