Bright Ideas

Xampla: Making strong, low-cost biodegradable plastic from peas

© Xampla

Inspired by the strength of spider silk, the Cambridge University spinoff has produced a plant-based, completely compostable alternative to microplastics

Spiders' silk is highly elastic, yet weight-for-weight stronger than steel. This seeming contradiction has long fascinated scientists, but a biophysicist went one step further, proposing that the silken threads would be a potentially ideal substitute for plastic, if its properties and production could be mimicked and scaled. 
“Spiders can form a high-performance material with minimal external energy input; there is almost no weight, and the processing happens at room temperature without using harmful solvents,” Cambridge University Professor of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics Tuomas...

The rest of the content is only available if you are logged in.

Edited by Selva Kumar, Bernice Tang

We pride ourselves on the accuracy of our information and reporting. Please help us by letting us know of any incomplete or inaccurate information on our website.