Micro technology
In nature, energy is free and always in ample supply. The sun delivers an energy flow to our planet of which we only use a few percent. Nature can perform … Read more
UBQ: biobased thermoplastic material from household waste
UBQ Materials is an Israeli company that produces a thermoplastic compound from household waste. Their first factory outside Israel is under construction in Bergen op Zoom (the Netherlands). It will … Read more
Artificial intelligence (AI): a temporary moratorium?
Thousands of developers of artificial intelligence recently asked for a moratorium on its development for half a year. ‘Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that … Read more
Can CRISPR help feed the world?
A recent blog by Nobel prize winner Jennifer Doudna in Wired Magazine explores the power of CRISPR – the discovery that lent her the Nobel prize. Particularly with regards to … Read more
Sustainable lignin-PLA composites for food packaging
The consumption of polymers has increased tremendously over the past few decades; and packaging now utilizes 42 percent of all polymer material worldwide. The extensive usage of polymers affects the … Read more
Towards a zero-emission construction trade
Al last, the need to work towards zero-emission construction seems to dawn on the construction trade. Not an easy task, as the volume of building projects around the world is … Read more
Plastics recycling
Plastic pollution is a problem that that begins long before it reaches the environment, and therefore the solution should fulfil the same criterion. Two new European projects develop plastic technologies … Read more
An innovative urban biorefinery
Urban waste is a serious threat to the sustainability of our cities. Essentially, our economic model, as far as private consumption is concerned, is still once-through. Consumers don’t care very … Read more
Towards new agricultural practices
George Monbiot published a new book, Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet. He is the much acclaimed and (to some) controversial author who criticizes modern agricultural practices. In … Read more
Project revisited: towards bionylon
Some projects develop slowly but steadily. One of them is the project towards bionylon. We wrote about this in 2014 already. Genomatica, based in San Diego (USA) was the driving … Read more
Graphene in concrete
Applications of graphene, that wonderful material, multiply all the time. The latest news concerns its application in concrete. Adding graphene to concrete can render it extremely strong and much more … Read more
After lithium-ion batteries: sodium-ion batteries
Until quite recently, lithium-ion batteries were supposed to be the pinnacle of battery technology. These devices would allow the electrification of transport, and indeed of much of the entire world. … Read more
Wood conservation
Wood conservation is a necessary and noble art. In itself, wood is an excellent construction material: in ample supply, often locally sourced, easy to process; its production requires little energy. … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 71. The future of pharma in 3 acts, no.3. Towards a holistic approach
Until quite recently, professionals in healthcare tended to look upon body and mind as strictly separated therapeutic entities. And we still don’t treat them a being equal. The notion that … Read more
Thermal batteries that store solar and wind power
Thermal batteries are yet another way to store an excess of solar and wind power. According to the laws of physics, they would seem to incur major energy losses. But … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 69. The future of pharma in 3 acts, no. 1. More of the same
What does the future of pharma look like? So far, our task was easy, a description of history. Now things become much more difficult. There is a multitude of subjects … Read more
Against desertification
Each year, planet Earth loses 13 million hectares (32 million acres) of forest. Since 1960, more than half of all tropical forests have disappeared. Particularly because of logging in the … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 66. The evolutionary arms race
The ‘70s of the past century mark a turning point in the control of toxic microorganisms. Researchers then discover that we will never finally be able to control them. That … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 63. Modern vaccines
In our conflict with bacteria, we make much more use of tablets and powders than of vaccines. TBC treatment is an exception, all the more so because the tuberculosis bacterium … Read more
Market introduction of PHAs
PHAs (polyhydroxy alkanoates) are interesting but difficult plastics. Interesting because they are produced in a natural way. From sustainable or waste resources. By microorganisms and not at high temperatures. PHAs … Read more
Defy death – will they ever succeed?
A number of powerful people has embarked on a mission to defy death. The most recent among these is Jeff Bezos, former CEO of Amazon and one of the five … Read more
Biological crop protection
Biological crop protection is on the rise. In many respects, biologicals are better than chemicals. Generally, they carry low risk for human health and for the environment. Not necessarily harmless … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria. # 41, Sore throat, runny nose and other unfortunate conditions
Mankind uses antibiotics quite incompetently and irresponsibly. We run into the danger of losing the effectiveness of these great inventions in the treatment of life-threatening infections, through resistance. We even … Read more
RethinkX: the new Organizing System
In comparison to most utopian views, RethinkX devotes a lot of attention to the Organizing System required for the transition. It stresses that we cannot just rely on technological innovations. … Read more
The disruption of the cow
The second domestication of plants and animals, the disruption of the cow, and the collapse of industrial livestock farming. Nothing could better sum up the pretension of the RethinkX report … Read more
RethinkX: the essentials
The RethinkX report doesn’t fool around. It starts with a clarion call: ‘We are on the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most consequential transformation of human civilization in history, a … Read more
Bt eggplant project in Bangladesh revisited
We discussed the Bt eggplant project in Bangladesh in an article by Hans Tramper, 3 years ago. It seemed to be very successful. Recently, professor Anthony Shelton of Cornell University … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 32. 1950: turning point for the good
There are four developments that mark the year 1950 as a turning point in medical history: (1) the overwhelming success of the penicillins, and additionally the cephalosporins and streptomycins, (2) … Read more
Sustainable materials policy? Try bans and taxes
Lux Research, an international research policy company based in Boston, published a report on sustainable materials policy. What are the most effective policy instruments in this area? Sustainab-ility is growing … Read more
Meat alternatives on the rise
Around the world, meat consumption is on the rise. People eat more meat as they become more affluent. But meat alternatives are becoming popular. They are fashionable; and their environmental … Read more
Towards net zero carbon emissions
In an unprecedented move, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published its NZE2050 scenario this month: towards net zero carbon emissions in 2050. Required for a climate strategy that limits the … Read more
Good prospects for alternative leathers
Conventional leather is an attractively priced and sought-after consumer good. But leather production has important negative environmental and social consequences. Animals often live in harsh conditions; the sector uses much … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 13. November 1921 and September 1928
The story of the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming is well-known. On returning from a holiday on September 3, 1928, he remarks that in a petri dish with a … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 10. International recognition
In 1937 already, the medical profession in the United Kingdom, France and the United States recognizes the major importance of the sulfanilamide and the other sulfas; for different reasons in … Read more
Chemistry vs. bacteria, episode 7. Aspirin
According to one version of the history of Aspirin, German chemist Felix Hoffmann who works with Bayer, has it all sorted out in 1897. Felix is 29 years old. As … Read more
CO2 utilization, a growth sector
In a report released last month, Lux Research looked into CO2 utilization. The company forecasts a growth in this sector to $ 70 billion by 2030 and to $ 550 … Read more
Chemicals and materials industry needs to innovate
‘The chemicals and materials industry is going to see more dramatic change over the next 20 years than it has in at least the last 50,’ says Anthony Schiavo, Senior … Read more
100 years of chemistry vs. bacteria, episode 4. The rise of chemistry
For those living in the 19th century, it was by no means evident that we could use chemistry as a weapon against bacteria. Chemistry was a young science. It found … Read more
100 years of chemistry vs. bacteria, episode 3. Mercurochrome, Ehrlich’s chemotherapy the American way
In 1913, Hugh Hampton Young returns to the US from the international medical conference in London, deeply impressed by Paul Ehrlich’s chemotherapy. Young works as a surgeon at the Brady … Read more
100 years of chemistry vs. bacteria, episode 2. Paul Ehrlich, Salvarsan and chemotherapy
In 1890, Robert Koch appoints Paul Ehrlich his assistant. Although Ehrlich (1854-1915) is above all a medical doctor (together with Emil Adolf von Behring he develops a vaccine against diphtheria), … Read more
Nebulised interferon as a COVID-19 medicine
In a small clinical study conducted in April and May 2020, British scientists investigated the effect of inhalation of nebulised interferon-beta-1a (SNG001) on the development of COVID-19 in patients. The … Read more
A strategy to reduce animal tests
Animal tests are a controversial issue. On the one hand, many people object to actions that deliberately damage animal welfare. On the other hand, we need these tests in order … Read more
Closing the plastic loop
Plastic recycling has become a hot topic. The seriousness of plastic pollution has forced itself upon us. Industry, indeed the world, needs to close the plastic loop. But we don’t … Read more
Mass timber, the new technology
A revolution has taken place in the construction industry: the development of mass timber, the technical term for industrial timber. It allows for the construction of innovative buildings. Mass timber … Read more
Antibiotics resistance, and how to overcome it
All over the world, antibiotics resistance increases. Overdose prescriptions are an important cause. And also the natural phenomenon of increasing resistance as the same medicine is being used for years … Read more
The solutions are here!
The solutions are here!, talking about major global problems. Solutions that exist already but are not generally applied. Or that are under severe and undeserved attack and therefore receive insufficient … Read more
New technology for drinking-water production
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new technology for drinking-water production. They use metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that remove ions dissolved in salt or brackish water, producing … Read more
Review: biostimulants for sustainable crop production
This book is what a review should be all about: lengthy (365 pg), thorough, several tables and hundreds of references. Overall, this is a complete book on a highly relevant … Read more
Vegan leather for sustainable fashion
Mankind has known leather for about seven thousand years, now. Leather is durable and versatile. And biodegradable. But it is produced as a by-product of the meat industry, in a … Read more
Battery technology in fast development
Much excitement in the universe of battery technology. Battery storage is rapidly growing world-wide, important for the energy transition. Batteries are improving and their costs are falling, all the time. … Read more