Reduce, reuse, reflycle

How genetically modified flies can reduce waste and keep it out of landfills

Macquarie University

 

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Dr Maciej Maselko in insect containment laboratory, Macquarie University

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Credit: Macquarie University

A Macquarie University team proposes using genetically engineered black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) to address worldwide pollution challenges and produce valuable raw materials for industry, including the USD $500 billion global animal feed market. 

In a new paper published on 24 July in the journal Communications Biology, scientists at Macquarie University outline a future where engineered flies could transform waste management and sustainable biomanufacturing, addressing multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Synthetic biologist Dr Kate Tepper is lead author of the paper and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University.

“One of the great challenges in developing circular economies is making high-value products that can be produced from waste,” says Dr Tepper. 

Landfill Emitters

An estimated 40 to 70 per cent of global organic waste finds its way to landfills.

“The landfilling of organic waste creates about five per cent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and we need to get this to zero per cent,” Dr Tepper says. 

Organic by-products from sewage treatment - municipal biosolids - can be used as an alternative to synthetic fertiliser to grow crops and close nutrient cycles.

However Dr Tepper notes there are rising concerns about toxic chemicals in waste, including dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

In developing countries, organic wastes dumped in open areas can contaminate water used for drinking or irrigation, attracting pests, spreading disease and degrading natural habitat, and farmers often burn leftover crop parts they can’t use, causing air pollution. 

Black soldier flies are already valued in waste management where they consume commercial organic wastes before being processed as ‘insect biomass’ into foods for domestic pets and commercial chicken and fish farmers.

But the Macquarie team believes genetic engineering could extend the usefulness of the black soldier fly, enabling them to turn waste inputs into enhanced animal feeds or valuable industrial raw materials. 

The larvae could bio-manufacture industrial enzymes currently for use in livestock, textile, food and  pharmaceutical industries and representing a global market worth billions of dollars annually. 

The flies can also be engineered to generate specialised lipids for use in biofuels and lubricants, replacing fossil-fuel derived products.

Engineering insects to make industrial enzymes and lipids that are not used in food supply chains will expand the types of organic wastes that can be used, and the research team propose modifying the fly so it can digest contaminated organic wastes, sewage sludge, and other complex organic wastes. 

“Even the fly-poo, called ‘frass,’ could be enhanced to improve fertiliser,” Dr. Tepper says. “The flies could be engineered to clean up chemical contaminants in their frass, which can be applied as pollutant free fertiliser to grow crops and prevent contaminants entering our food supply chains.” 

Sustainable biomanufacturing

Senior author Dr Maciej Maselko, who heads an animal synthetic biology lab at Macquarie University’s Applied BioSciences, says: “Insects will be the next frontier for synthetic biology applications, dealing with some of the huge waste-management challenges we haven’t been able to solve with microbes.”  

Genetically engineered microbes require sterile environments to prevent contamination, along with lots of water and refined nutrient inputs. 

“We can feed black soldier flies straight, dirty trash rather than sterilised or thoroughly pre-processed. When it is just chopped into smaller pieces black soldier flies will consume large volumes of waste a lot faster than microbes,” Dr Maselko says. 

The researchers suggest genetic engineering could piggyback on the existing framework, elevating the flies from simple waste processors to high-tech biomanufacturing platforms. In the paper the researchers outline a roadmap calling for better genetic engineering tools in key insects. 

“Physical containment is part of a series of protections. We are also developing additional layers of genetic containment so that any escapees can’t reproduce or survive in the wild,” Dr Maselko says. 

Commercialisation

Macquarie University in partnership with some members of the research team has filed patent applications related to black soldier fly biomanufacturing, already underway through a Macquarie University spin-out company, EntoZyme.

Dr Tepper says that the introduction of genetically engineered insects has potential, not just in the multi-billion dollar waste management market, but also in the production of a range of high-value industrial inputs. 

“If we want a sustainable circular economy, the economics of that have to work,” says Dr Tepper. 

“When there is an economic incentive to implement sustainable technologies, such as engineering insects to get more value from waste products, that will help to drive this transition more rapidly.” 

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Journal

Communications Biology

DOI

10.1038/s42003-024-06516-8 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Diverting organic waste from landfills via insect biomanufacturing using engineered black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens)

COI Statement

The authors declare the following competing interests: K.T. and M.M. have filed patent applications relevant to BSF biomanufacturing. O.E. is the CEO of EntoZyme PTY LTD. K.T. andM.M. are co-founders of EntoZyme. All other authors declare no competing interests.

 

Reducing operation qualification time and cost in additive manufacturing

America Makes supports a project led by Texas A&M Professor Dr. Mohsen Taheri-Andani and alumni Dr. Yash Parikh.

Texas A&M University

 

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Dr. Mohsen Taheri-Andani and Dr. Yash Parikh are collaborating on a project aimed at revolutionizing the additive manufacturing landscape by reducing the time and cost associated with operational qualification. 

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Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Moshen Taheri-Andani.

America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is supporting research to revolutionize the additive manufacturing (AM) industry by significantly reducing operational qualification time and cost.

The $2 million project, titled ACCELERATE, is led by Dr. Mohsen Taheri-Andani, an assistant professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. To secure the funding, Dr. Taheri-Andani partnered with Dr. Yash Parikh, a process engineering consultant at EOS who graduated with a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M in 2021.

A central aspect of this project is validating operational qualification through detailed tasks and documentation, which is vital for confirming the AM process to consistently meet material specification requirements. Additionally, the project will tackle various aspects of AM operations — from facility controls and operator training to software configuration and process monitoring. Special emphasis will be placed on feedstock control, machine calibration, and post-processing operations, ensuring thorough quality assurance. 

Dr. Taheri-Andani will lead a research team supporting the project by establishing repeatable and reproducible AM operations, emphasizing installation qualification, operational qualification, and product qualification. 

"Leading this groundbreaking project is a privilege. The goal is to enhance the AM landscape and substantially reduce the time and cost associated with operational qualification,” said Dr. Taheri-Andani. “Collaborating with brilliant minds, including our alumni like Yash, makes this journey even more rewarding."

Dr. Parikh will support Dr. Taheri-Andani and his research team with expert guidance on a novel data-driven operational qualification approach as well as best practices to expedite it. “Reuniting with my alma mater, Texas A&M University, for such a transformative project is an honor,” said Dr. Parikh. “This collaboration goes beyond innovation; it’s about positively impacting the industry and reinforcing the enduring bond between alumni and the university. This prestigious award is a testament to the unwavering dedication of faculties and students within the Mechanical Engineering Department who are committed to driving innovation and excellence in advanced technologies, including AM. With EOS showcasing its support through a cost-sharing pledge, I am excited to embark on this journey as one of the research partners and dedicated to demonstrating a steadfast commitment to realize the desired production results for customers and the AM community at large.”

This collaborative effort brings together a comprehensive skilled team, including research partners from the University of Michigan and two AM companies — Addiguru, LLC, and Beehive Industries — all contributing their expertise to the project.

Additionally, this project will receive support from Freemelt, a company providing Electron Powder Bed Fusion (E-PBF) equipment and services, leveraging the open-source and cutting-edge E-PBF system, FreemeltONE. Daniel Gidlund, CEO, stated, "Working together with Dr. Taheri-Andani, the project aims to push the boundaries of qualification in metal AM, which is a critical aspect for AM industrialization. We are very glad and excited to support and be engaged with Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station under this critical America Makes project.”

“I am committed to advancing AM and highlighting the importance of collaborative research and industry-academia partnerships,” said Dr.Taheri-Andani. “This project, aimed at streamlining operational qualification, is poised to make a significant impact on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of AM processes.” 

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The atmosphere in the room can affect strategic decision-making, study finds

New research from Bayes Business School uncovers how the mood within a group affects boardroom decisions

City University London

The atmosphere within a group can influence the outcome of strategic decision-making, according to a new study co-authored by Bayes Business School (formerly Cass). 

Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor of Strategic Management at Bayes, along with researchers from University of Queensland, Macquarie University and Leuphana University of Lüneburg, found that different atmospheres led to people speaking and interacting in different ways that changed how they made sense of the strategy.  

For instance, when the atmosphere was pensive, people were cautious about the way to proceed, whereas, when it was curious they felt free to be exploratory in their strategy making. However, when the atmosphere bordered on tense or dismissive, participants became argumentative and struggled to agree on ways forward. 

The academics examined video recordings, workshops, interviews, and first-hand observations of a strategic project team composed of managers and consultants at an electronic bank in Australia, conducted over 18 months. The observations examined the interactions of the banking team assessing a digital product which used AI-informed technologies to help bank customers manage their spending. 

The academics also noted that the atmosphere can change rapidly, as subtle shifts in tone of voice, speech, or body language affected how groups react to ideas. Overall, the research found that in group settings, people’s sensing of the atmosphere influences their collective sensemaking when deciding on issues.  

Professor Jarzabkowski said: 

“We wanted to explore how people’s subconscious signals like tone of voice, attitude, emotional interaction and body language could affect others’ views around decision-making. 

“Our research shows that strategy making is not just a matter of optimal decisions. The strategies firms take are affected by the way people feel – the mood in the room - during strategy making.” 

Professors Eric Knight and Jaco Lok at Macquarie Business School said:  

“While we all know that atmosphere can affect how we feel, its effect on how we make sense of complex issues has not been systematically studied. This is why our study is important and unique.” 

Matthias Wenzel, Professor of Organization Studies at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, said:  

“We often assume that there is some consensus or shared understanding in managerial decision making. Our research shows that the atmosphere in the room is what is shared, and that affects the decisions made.” 

The paper, ‘Sensing the room: the role of atmosphere in collective sensemaking,’ is published in the Academy of Management Journal. 

ENDS  

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Journal

Academy of Management Journal

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Sensing the room: the role of atmosphere in collective sensemaking

NO FIGHTING IN THE WAR ROOM

 

Dairy nutrition is leading the sustainability charge

Advances in dairy nutrition science may be able to deliver a 60% reduction in ruminant livestock enteric methane emissions in the coming years, according to a new Journal of Dairy Science® invited review

Elsevier

Philadelphia, August 13, 2024 – Research into reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock has increased exponentially as the dairy and agriculture sectors work together toward shared sustainability and efficiency goals. While this progress has been made in all areas of dairy science research, from genetics to animal health and welfare, dairy nutrition has emerged as a particularly impactful area for emission reduction. In a new invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science, a preeminent voice in sustainability and dairy nutrition synthesizes what we know so far and reveals that new nutrition strategies could potentially slash methane emissions by a staggering 60% in the coming years.

Methane (both enteric methane produced during digestion and methane from manure) is the critical greenhouse gas that makes up most of the dairy industry’s environmental footprint. The invited review’s author, Alexander Hristov, PhD, PAS, Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, and recipient of the 2024 Journal of Dairy Science Highly Cited Award explains, “There are two main ways to tackle enteric methane emissions through nutrition: adjusting an animal’s diet or adding in specific new ingredients.”

Dr. Hristov’s review provides an insightful overview of what we know now about both options, where additional research is needed, and which methane-reduction pathways might be most practical and achievable for the future. 

The review begins with the latest findings on diet reformulation, including adjusting concentrate feeds, feeding corn versus grass and legume silage, and using alternative forages such as sorghum or plantain. With all of these options available, can diet changes have a real impact on methane emissions? The answer, asserts Dr. Hristov, isn’t simple or one size fits all.

Dr. Hristov says, “Diet reformulation depends on a farm’s unique scenario to be an effective tool. If a dairy has room for efficiency and productivity improvements, for example, balancing diets can be helpful.”

However, this approach is less practical in intensive dairy production systems, where nutritional professionals formulate the diets and producers have efficiency dialed in. In those dairy systems, Dr. Hristov notes, “It may be difficult to find specific feeds that can have a substantial and measurable impact on methane emissions.”

That leaves feed additives, new ingredients supplemented in small amounts to a dairy cow’s existing diet, to reduce methane produced during digestion. Based on existing research, the most promising additives are seaweeds and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP).

Red seaweed varieties, for example, contain bromoform, an active compound that has been effective in reducing methane emissions in several studies. Dr. Hristov adds, “Bromoform appears to be able to achieve a 30% to 50% emissions reduction, but whether this effect can be applied broadly and consistently needs more research.”

The strongest feed additive contender to emerge is 3-NOP. According to Dr. Hristov, “Its efficacy has been proven in numerous controlled and independent experiments, and 3-NOP is currently the only available option headed to market for dairy operations looking to use additives to reduce emissions.”

Dr. Hristov also highlights two areas that could benefit from more research as the dairy sector works to move the sustainability needle forward: reducing methane emissions from cow manure and studying whether nutrition strategies can be paired together synergistically.

Dr. Hristov comments, “In theory, practices with different modes of reducing methanogens could work together to boost overall mitigation.” The article cites a best-case scenario in the literature in which a 20% to 30% reduction by a feed additive could be paired with another 10% to 20% reduction from a second feed additive, plus, perhaps, another 5% to 10% from improvements in forage quality and diet manipulation, adding up to a substantial overall impact in lowering methane.

While Dr. Hristov was clear that the pathways toward dairy sustainability are still in flux—and that no one solution will work for every dairy system and every farm—advances in dairy nutrition will be an essential component in the methane-reduction mix. He concludes, “If currently available mitigation practices prove to deliver consistent results, and novel, potent, and safe strategies are discovered, nutrition alone can deliver up to a 60% reduction in enteric methane emissions and pave the way for a more sustainable dairy sector.”

 

 

 

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Journal

Journal of Dairy Science

DOI

10.3168/jds.2023-24440 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Invited review: Advances in nutrition and feed additives to mitigate enteric methane emissions

A new method for protection from plant pathogens could help support global food security. 

Diamond Light Source

 

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The crystal structure of the complex reveals an extensive interface between Pwl2 and OsHIPP43 (figure. 1).

Figure 1: Transparent surface representation of Pwl2 (pink) and OsHIPP43 (blue) 

 

 

 

 

 

The crystal structure of the complex reveals an extensive interface between Pwl2 and OsHIPP43 (fig. 1). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1: Transparent surface representation of Pwl2 (pink) and OsHIPP43 (blue) 

The crystal structure of the complex reveals an extensive interface between Pwl2 and OsHIPP43 (fig. 1). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1: Transparent surface representation of Pwl2 (pink) and OsHIPP43 (blue) 

 

Figure 1: Transparent surface representation of Pwl2 (pink) and OsHIPP43 (blue) 

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Credit: PNAS : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2402872121

By modifying a plant intracellular immune receptor (NLR), researchers have developed a potential new strategy for resistance to rice blast disease, one of the most important diseases threatening global food security. The collaborative team from the UK and Japan have recently published their research in PNAS. This could have implications for future approaches to crop protection and ultimately global food supply stability. 

The research was led from the Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism at the John Innes Centre, with partners at The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, and the Division of Genomics and Breeding, Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Japan. For a critical part of the study, the researchers worked with the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source. Their paper, “Bioengineering a plant NLR immune receptor with a robust binding interface toward a conserved fungal pathogen effector”, was published in early July (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402872121) 

Rice blast disease remains one of the most recalcitrant diseases threatening global food security. This disease is caused by the filamentous fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae and is directly responsible for the loss of more than 30% of harvested rice annually. This pathogen can also cause blast disease on other cereal crops including wheat and barley. 

Current approaches to deployment of durable disease resistance in the field are limited by the pace they can be identified in nature and the evolution of plant pathogens such as the blast fungus that manage to bypass these new resistances. Bioengineering of plant immune receptors such as NLRs has emerged as a new path for generating novel disease resistance traits to counteract the expanding threat of plant pathogens to global food security that can potentially be developed on demand. 

Rafał Zdrzałek, the lead author explains “Pathogens secrete proteins called “effectors” into host cells to manipulate plant metabolism and promote infection. Plants can recognise these effectors using immune receptors called NLRs. However, it’s not always easy to define a receptor naturally recognising any given effector, and even if such receptor exists, pathogen’s effectors can mutate and evolve to escape that recognition. Interactions between pathogen effectors and plant receptors are studied to understand the modus operandi of each pathogen, but also allows us to tinker with the natural plant receptors and alter their recognition specificity.” 

In their publication the researchers focused on engineering an NLR immune receptor from rice to robustly bind a broader, conserved effector family from the blast fungus pathogen. Mark Banfield, the corresponding author, adds; “By recognising a conserved effector family, this engineered immune receptor establishes a proof-of-principle for future delivery of robust, longer-lived blast disease resistance in agriculture. It may be more difficult for the pathogen to evolve to escape recognition. The concept of host-target immune receptor engineering may also be applicable to other plant diseases that rely on delivery of effectors into host cells for their disease-causing properties.” 

By exchanging the heavy metal–associated (HMA) domain of the rice NLR Pikm-1 with that from the rice protein OsHIPP43 (the natural target of the Pwl2 effector), the researchers successfully changed the receptor's response profile to recognise and respond to Pwl2 and the broader Pwl effector family.  

The researchers collected X-ray diffraction data at the I04 beamline of the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source to study the details of the interaction between these two proteins. The crystal structure of the complex reveals an extensive interface between Pwl2 and OsHIPP43 (fig. 1). 

Figure 1: Transparent surface representation of Pwl2 (pink) and OsHIPP43 (blue) 

Interestingly, the researchers performed assays to show that the new chimeric protein could recognise different Pwl effectors (fig. 2) in planta.   

Figure 2: Cell death assay showing the Pikm-1OsHIPP43/Pikp-2 chimera recognizes Pwl effector variants on expression in N. benthamiana. 

To explore the limits of the chimeric protein, they generated series of targeted mutations in Pwl2 based on the crystal structure, and performed new assay to test for altered recognition specificities. In many cases, the protein could recognise the effector, showing the robustness of the system. (fig. 3) 

Figure 3: Cell death assays showing recognition of all single Pwl2 point mutants by the chimeric Pikm-1OsHIPP43/Pikp-2 receptor, despite deliberate targeting of mutations at the Pwl2/OsHIPP43 interface.  

The study's findings demonstrate the potential of host target-based NLR engineering in developing new resistance traits that could be less prone to being overcome by pathogen evolution. This research could have far-reaching implications for the future of crop protection and global food supply stability. 

To find out more about the I04 beamline or discuss potential applications, please contact Principal Beamline Scientist Ralf Flaig ralf.flaig@diamond.ac.uk  

• ENDS   - 

 

Figure 2: Cell death assay showing the Pikm-1OsHIPP43/Pikp-2 chimera recognizes Pwl effector variants on expression in N. benthamiana. Figure 2: Cell death assay showing the Pikm-1OsHIPP43/Pikp-2 chimera recognizes Pwl effector variants on expression in N. benthamiana. 

Credit

PNAS : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2402872121

Figure 3: Cell death assays showing recognition of all single Pwl2 point mutants by the chimeric Pikm-1OsHIPP43/Pikp-2 receptor, despite deliberate targeting of mutations at the Pwl2/OsHIPP43 interface.  

Credit

PNAS : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2402872121

Paper: “Bioengineering a plant NLR immune receptor with a robust binding interface toward a conserved fungal pathogen effector”, July 5, 2024 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402872121 

Authors and affiliations: Rafal Zdrzalek, Yuxuan Xi, Thorsten Langner, Mark J. Banfield +9  Authors Info & Affiliations 

Further information please contact: mark.banfield@jic.ac.uk  

For further information: please contact Diamond Communications: Lorna Campbell +44 7836 625999 or Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke +44 1235 778130   Diamond Light Source: www.diamond.ac.uk  Twitter: @DiamondLightSou    

 

The John Innes Centre, located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, is an independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science founded in 1910. It is an international centre of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology. Its research aims to address global challenges, and new knowledge of plants and microbes is used to answer fundamental questions, as well as having a significant impact on industrial biotechnology, society and global development. 

The John Innes Centre fosters a creative, curiosity-driven approach to fundamental questions in bio-science, with a view to translating that into societal benefits. Over the last 110 years, we have achieved a range of fundamental breakthroughs, resulting in major societal impacts. The director of the John Innes Centre is Professor Graham Moore FRS. 

Diamond Light Source provides industrial and academic user communities with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools to enable world-changing science. Shaped like a huge ring, it works like a giant microscope, accelerating electrons to near light speeds, to produce a light 10 billion times brighter than the Sun, which is then directed off into 33 laboratories known as ‘beamlines’. In addition to these, Diamond offers access to several integrated laboratories including the world-class Electron Bio-imaging Centre (eBIC) and the Electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC).    

Diamond serves as an agent of change, addressing 21st century challenges such as disease, clean energy, food security and more. Since operations started, more than 16,000 researchers from both academia and industry have used Diamond to conduct experiments, with the support of approximately 760 world-class staff. Almost 12,000 scientific articles have been published by our users and scientists.    

Funded by the UK Government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and by the Wellcome Trust, Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific research.    

Diamond was set-up as an independent not for profit company through a joint venture, between the UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and one of the world’s largest biomedical charities, the Wellcome Trust - each respectively owning 86% and 14% of the shareholding.    

  

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Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2402872121 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

“Bioengineering a plant NLR immune receptor with a robust binding interface toward a conserved fungal pathogen effector”,

Mizzou scientists achieve more than 98% efficiency removing nanoplastics from water

The liquid-based solution uses a solvent to trap the plastic particles, leaving clean water behind.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Missouri-Columbia

 

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“Our strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water,” said Gary Baker, an associate professor in University of Missouri’s Department of Chemistry.

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Credit: Sam O’Keefe/University of Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri scientists are battling against an emerging enemy of human health: nanoplastics. Much smaller in size than the diameter of an average human hair, nanoplastics are invisible to the naked eye. 

Linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in people, nanoplastics continue to build up, largely unnoticed, in the world’s bodies of water. The challenge remains to develop a cost-effective solution to get rid of nanoplastics while leaving clean water behind. 

That’s where Mizzou comes in. Recently, researchers at the university created a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98% of these microscopic plastic particles from water. 

“Nanoplastics can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and enter the food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and humans,” said Piyuni Ishtaweera, a recent alumna who led the study while earning her doctorate in nano and materials chemistry at Mizzou. “In layman’s terms, we’re developing better ways to remove contaminants such as nanoplastics from water.” 

The innovative method — using water-repelling solvents made from natural ingredients — not only offers a practical solution to the pressing issue of nanoplastic pollution but also paves the way for further research and development in advanced water purification technologies. 

“Our strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water,” said Gary Baker, an associate professor in Mizzou’s Department of Chemistry and the study’s corresponding author. “Currently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood. In future work, we aim to determine the maximum capacity of the solvent. Additionally, we will explore methods to recycle the solvents, enabling their reuse multiple times if necessary.” 

Initially, the solvent sits on the water’s surface the way oil floats on water. Once mixed with water and allowed to reseparate, the solvent floats back to the surface, carrying the nanoplastics within its molecular structure. 

In the lab, the researchers simply use a pipette to remove the nanoplastic-laden solvent, leaving behind clean, plastic-free water. Baker said future studies will work to scale up the entire process so that it can be applied to larger bodies of water like lakes and, eventually, oceans. 

Ishtaweera, who now works at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in St. Louis, noted that the new method is effective in both fresh and saltwater. 

“These solvents are made from safe, non-toxic components, and their ability to repel water prevents additional contamination of water sources, making them a highly sustainable solution,” she said. “From a scientific perspective, creating effective removal methods fosters innovation in filtration technologies, provides insights into nanomaterial behavior and supports the development of informed environmental policies.” 

The Mizzou team tested five different sizes of polystyrene-based nanoplastics, a common type of plastic used in the making of Styrofoam cups. Their results outperformed previous studies that largely focused on just a single size of plastic particles. 

“Nanoplastics extraction from water by hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents” was published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials. Additional co-authors are Mizzou’s Collen Ray, Wyland Filley and Garrett Cobb.

Gary Baker, an associate professor in the University of Missouri’s Department of Chemistry, looks at a bottle of a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98% of microscopic plastic particles from water.

Once mixed with water and allowed to reseparate, the solvent floats back to the surface, carrying the nanoplastics within its molecular structure.

Credit

Sam O’Keefe/University of Missouri

This illustration outlines the two-step extraction method.

Credit

Photo courtesy of Gary Baker.

Journal

ACS Applied Engineering Materials

DOI

10.1021/acsaenm.4c00159 

Article Title

Nanoplastics Extraction from Water by Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents