Film of the Future - Producing an antiviral, antimicrobial, biodegradable plastic from seaweed

未来的薄膜——用海藻生产抗病毒、抗菌、可生物降解的塑料

• 批准号: 2602257
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Aberystwyth University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2602257
• 关键词: Film; Future; Producing; antiviral; antimicrobial

The increasing consumer concern about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment is neatly on trend. The government is promoting investment towards single-use plastic eradication and media attention is focused on alternatives to this material1,2. We are also facing COVID-19, declared global pandemic in 20203. This virus can survive on plastic packaging materials, and be transmitted to the consumer. Key sectors within the food supply chain rely on plastic packaging to ensure the food safety and quality. For example, Samworth Brothers (SB) produce prepared food products (e.g. sandwiches, ready meals, snacks) across the branded and 'own label' market and are keen to offer their consumers a more environmentally responsible packaging solution that could not only replace plastic packaging but also have further antibacterial and antiviral benefits.Fully compostable films produced from the seaweed derivative alginate were first patented in 1949 using a cost-effective process involving CaCl2 and HCl4. These films can be enhanced with compounds to provide antiviral and antimicrobial properties like fucoidan, phloroglucinol and laminarin, also present in brown seaweeds5,6. We hypothesise that fully compostable non-plastic films can be produced containing extracts from seaweeds with antibacterial and antiviral properties, minimising the risk of disease transmission through food contact materials; maintaining quality and safety of food products; and reducing the environmental impact of current packaging solutions. Objectives 1: Substrate generation and desirable property analysis (AU) Extracts formed of fucoidan and phloroglucinols will be extracted from brown seaweed species (Laminaria digitata, Laminaria hyperborea, Saccharina latissima, Fucus vesiculosus, Fucus serratus, Ascophyllum nodosum). An industrially scalable extraction method will be developed to enable fractional separation of different molecular weights in addition to whole extracts. The antibacterial properties of each extract will be tested in in vitro trials using standard aerobic test strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, Candida albicans). Antiviral properties will be examined 7 using viruses P100, MS2 and Phi6, models for non-enveloped DNA viruses; non-enveloped RNA viruses and enveloped RNA viruses respectively.2: Existing and future packaging solution study (SB)Placement to study existing packaging processes to better understand what the key parameters are within: prepared food packaging production, supply chain, quality control, and the packaging disposal process.3: Film production (AU)Films will be generated from commercially available alginate with products generated from Objective 1 and additional compounds with complementary properties addressing issues identified in Objective 2. Films will be screened for antibacterial and antiviral properties as per Objective 1.4: Film property analysis (CU)Selected films from Objective 3 will be characterised in terms of physical properties (e.g. gas permeability, flexibility, stability). Real-world supply chain conditions will be simulated to understand the response of food to novel packaging materials in terms of quality and safety. 5: Packaging production trial (AU/CU/SB)Films identified with both positive packaging properties and antibacterial and antiviral qualities will be produced (AU), generating material sufficient for inclusion in a packaging trial (SB). Film samples will be taken throughout the process for physical property analysis (CU) and antimicrobial and antiviral property analysis (AU).Justification: Consumer demand for antiviral and antimicrobial packaging, especially those which are biodegradable, is anticipated to be high in future. The production of a viable seaweed-derived film fitting these requirements will generate highly impactful data for both industry and scientific communities

消费者越来越关注塑料污染对环境的影响，这完全是一种趋势。政府正在推动对一次性塑料根除的投资，媒体的注意力也集中在这种材料的替代品上。我们还面临着在2030年被宣布为全球大流行的COVID-19。这种病毒可以在塑料包装材料上存活，并传播给消费者。食品供应链中的关键部门依靠塑料包装来确保食品安全和质量。例如，Samworth Brothers （SB）在品牌和自有品牌市场上生产预制食品（如三明治、即食食品、零食），并热衷于为消费者提供更环保的包装解决方案，不仅可以取代塑料包装，而且还具有进一步的抗菌和抗病毒作用。由海藻衍生物海藻酸盐制成的完全可堆肥的薄膜在1949年首次获得专利，使用的是一种成本效益高的方法，涉及CaCl2和HCl4。这些薄膜可以添加一些化合物来增强其抗病毒和抗菌性能，如褐藻聚糖、间苯三酚和层粘连素，这些化合物也存在于褐海藻中5,6。我们假设可以生产完全可堆肥的非塑料薄膜，其中含有具有抗菌和抗病毒特性的海藻提取物，从而最大限度地减少通过食物接触材料传播疾病的风险；维护食品的质量和安全；并减少当前包装解决方案对环境的影响。目的1：底物生成和所需性质分析（AU）将从褐藻中提取褐藻聚糖和间苯三酚形成的提取物（digitata、hyperborea、Saccharina latissima、Fucus vesiculosus、Fucus serratus、Ascophyllum nodosum）。一种工业上可扩展的提取方法将被开发，以使不同分子量的分数分离，除了整个提取物。每种提取物的抗菌性能将在体外试验中使用标准有氧试验菌株（金黄色葡萄球菌、铜绿假单胞菌、大肠杆菌、肠炎沙门氏菌亚种）进行测试。肠道菌，白色念珠菌)。使用病毒P100、MS2和Phi6（非包膜DNA病毒模型）检测抗病毒特性；非包膜RNA病毒和包膜RNA病毒。2：现有和未来包装解决方案研究（SB）安置研究现有的包装工艺，以更好地了解哪些关键参数是在：预制食品包装生产，供应链，质量控制，和包装处置过程。3：薄膜生产（AU）薄膜将由市售的海藻酸盐和目标1生成的产品以及具有互补特性的其他化合物生成，以解决目标2中确定的问题。根据目标1.4筛选薄膜的抗菌和抗病毒性能：薄膜性能分析（CU）从目标3中选择的薄膜将在物理性能（例如透气性，柔韧性，稳定性）方面进行表征。真实的供应链条件将被模拟，以了解食品在质量和安全方面对新型包装材料的反应。5：包装生产试验（AU/CU/SB）将生产具有良好包装性能和抗菌和抗病毒特性的薄膜（AU），生成足以用于包装试验（SB）的材料。薄膜样品将在整个过程中进行物理性质分析（CU）和抗菌和抗病毒性质分析（AU）。理由：消费者对抗病毒和抗菌包装的需求，特别是那些可生物降解的包装，预计在未来会很高。生产符合这些要求的可行的海藻衍生膜将为工业和科学界产生极具影响力的数据