19
06 2023
Recently, a research team led by Prof. TIAN Yajun from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has explored the idea of coupling big data with LCA based on the previously established GIS-LCA methodology framework. The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental, economic, social and other multi-dimensional impact potential of products has always been the direction of its development. However, each dimension of traditional LCA m...
15
06 2023
Lactic acid is an important chemical intermediate for a plethora of products, from medicine to cosmetics to degradable materials, and is the building block for biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), a main component in compostable, recycled plastics. With a high demand for PLA and lactic acid in general, finding a non-food carbon source for the lactic acid synthesis process is a big step toward developing and implementing more sustainable practices. Researchers are streamlining a way to use the abundant agro-waste products in non-food feedstocks to derive lactic acid from lignocellulose, a complex structural network found in plant cell wall. Using consolidated bio-saccharification (CBS), researchers were able to take the raw material of lignocellulose and obtain LA through a fermentation process. Lactic acid (LA) is an important chemical intermediate for a plethora of products, from medicine to cosmetics to degradable materials, and is the building block for biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), a main component in compostable, recycled pla...
12
06 2023
Probiotics claim to host a slew of health benefits for a person’s gut bacteria, but few countries regulate the supplements beyond confirming that their contents are generally safe. Part of the issue, according to a research team based in China, is that there isn’t an efficient, cost-effective system to assess the contents and quality of various probiotics. That may change with the team’s latest work, though.
Probiotics claim to host a slew of health benefits for a person. Rapid expansion of the probiotics industry demands fast, sensitive, comprehensive and low-cost strategies for quality assessment.
A research team led by the Qingdao Institute of ...
04
05 2023
Healthcare and rapid-results testing has become an increasingly important part of our fast-paced world. Utilizing droplet microfluidics allows for quicker point-of-care testing (POCT) but is not always as accurate, and currently requires an amount of external effort required for proper handling. The Integrated Portable Droplets system, or iPODs, developed by researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology is based on an auto flow-focusing droplet reinjection chip that eliminates the need for external pumps and precise fluid control, allowing for portability, lower costs, and a user-friendly method of droplet analysis. Rapid-results testing has become an increasingly important part of our fast-paced world. Utilizing droplet microfluidics allows for quicker point-of-care testing (POCT) but is not always as accurate, and currently requires an amount of external ef...
13
04 2023
Effective, accurate and quick ways to screen and sort microbes are in short supply. Most methods available now rely on additional labeling steps to sort bacteria, which may not even be effective on a range of cell types. These methods are typically also time-consuming, which doesn’t work well for industrial-scale breeding. The need for accuracy and speed are met using a label-free droplet-based integrated microfluidic platform that screens bacterial growth based on phenotype, or observable characteristics. Better and quicker screening of bacterial growth can have considerable effects on the work being done by the medical, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Effective, accurate and quick ways to screen and sort microbes are in short supply. Most methods available now rely on additional labeling steps to sort bacteria, which are typically time-consuming and cannot work well for industrial-scale breedin...
06
04 2023
Lithium-ion batteries are currently the gold standard of battery technology, but as the demand for safe and effective batteries increases, researchers are racing to find what’s next. Though lithium-ion batteries have been used for decades, they are prone to overheating, which can cause concerns ranging from charging problems to catching fire. All-solid-state lithium batteries could be an alternative to current lithium-ion battery technology, but improvements in their capacity are needed.
Lithium-ion batteries are currently the gold standard of battery technology, but as the demand for safe and effective batteries increases, researchers are racing to find what’s next.
All-solid-state lithium batteries could be an alternative t...
