At the UGA New Materials Institute, we believe that a material’s useful end-of-life should be considered at the design stage and that Green Engineering principles should be part of this process.
Discover how the Bioseniatic℠ Laboratory at the UGA New Materials Institute is advancing environmental safety through germination studies. Germination studies assess a material’s toxicity andimpact on soil and plant health. By using sensitive species like corn, which absorb nutrients efficiently and showclear signs of unhealthy growth, we followthe OECD/OCDE 208 guidelines to evaluate seedling emergence and growth. Germination studies are conducted after respirometry studies. Together, these tests provide essential insights into product safety and biodegradability.Watch our video to see the process in action.
The project, titled Sustainable Bioplastics Prepared by Ultrasonic Treatment with Low CO2 Footprint, aims to revolutionize the production of bioplastics through advanced ultrasonic treatment methods. By significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process as well as energy consumption, the team hopes to provide a viable alternative biodegradable plastic to conventional plastic materials, contributing to global sustainability goals.
The international research team has been awarded approximately $863,000 from the EPSRC, while the NSF has committed $557,553 in support of the project, which commenced on September 1, 2024, and will conclude on August 31, 2027. This funding will enable researchers to explore cutting-edge techniques and materials in the field of sustainable technology.
Sergiy Minko (Nanostructured Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Franklin College and Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors, Georgia Power Professor of Polymer Science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences) from UGA will collaborate closely with Dmitry Shchukin (School of Physical Sciences) from UoL on this pioneering project. Together, they will leverage their expertise to investigate the efficacy of ultrasonic treatment in producing high-quality bioplastics that minimize environmental impact.
“The ongoing project is using different sources of biomass waste and side products of the agricultural, pulp and paper, and biofuel industries to improve the efficiency of biomass valorization,” Dr. Minko said. “The research program will resolve the challenges of converting quite complex composition and variable properties lignocellulosic biomass into bioplastics for food packaging, construction materials, fibers, and other commodity plastic applications.”
Research teams from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute will conduct eight projects in 2025 for the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, or CB2. The 2025 projects were selected at the group’s fall meeting by CB2’s Industry Advisory Board.
Imrie Ross is an undergraduate student who works in the Locklin Group laboratory at the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. Ross is majoring in biochemical engineering with a minor in applied biotechnology.
Imrie Ross recently spoke with us about her experiences working at the UGA New Materials Institute and the impact of these experiences on her education and career goals. Below is her full interview.
How did you become interested in studying materials science?
I originally joined the UGA New Materials Institute because I noticed the number of disposable masks littering the UGA campus after the COVID-19 pandemic and felt compelled to find solutions to plastic pollution. I was put into contact with Travis Ichikawa, an assistant research scientist at the UGA New Materials Institute, who mentored me during my first two years at the NMI. After working with Dr. Ichikawa, I transitioned to Dr. Locklin’s group to work on research more closely aligned with my goal of creating alternatives to petroleum-based plastic.
Provide some details on your specific area of interest.
I am interested in the development of novel syntheses and degradation processes of plastic. My main project is to create new monomers and polyesters based on lignin, which is one of the largest natural sources of semi-aromatics. This project has helped develop my knowledge in designing novel polyesters with desirable thermal and mechanical properties.
Please share with us a rewarding experience related to your work at the UGA New Materials Institute.
I have grown tremendously as a student researcher during my time at UGA New Materials Institute. I have become independent in the lab, conducting my own reactions and using different tools to characterize the products. I came to the NMI never having set foot in a lab and now I can run my own chemistry experiments. The work I contributed to last year to synthesize novel polyesters derived from lignin feedstock is now in the process of being published, which is extremely exciting as well.
How has your experience with the UGA New Materials Institute influenced your academic trajectory or career goals?
The UGA New Materials Institute has been instrumental in shaping my undergraduate career and future goals. I had never considered research as a career for myself before UGA, but after working with the NMI, I know it is exactly what I want to do. The work I have done with NMI has given me a sense of purpose and community. The people I work with are extremely talented, supportive and friendly. I am excited to come into the laboratory and work with a variety of people and projects. NMI opened my eyes to the possibilities of research, and I plan to continue researching as a chemical and biomolecular engineering PhD student once I complete my undergraduate program.
What challenges have you faced in your work and how have you overcome them?
Whenever I start in a lab, a large challenge I face is timidness. I feel afraid to make mistakes and worry that I don’t have the necessary knowledge to contribute to anything. Over time, I have learned that making mistakes is part of the process of learning. It is okay to break a piece of glassware or not immediately know what an aqueous workup is. The point of doing research as an undergraduate is to learn from others and develop yourself as a researcher. There is always a learning curve, but persistence and interest will help overcome it.
How do you see your work at the UGA New Materials Institute contributing to global sustainability efforts?
My work is very motivating because it has a direct contribution to global sustainability. My lab is focused on creating bio-based alternatives to traditional (environmentally persistent) plastic. The goal with our research is to create these polymers with thermal and mechanical properties on-level with current plastic. All of the syntheses we use can be done at industrial scales as well.The polymers my group creates have the potential to replace the unsustainable plastics currently used.
What skills have you gained from working at the UGA New Materials Institute that you believe will be the most valuable in your future career?
I have gained a plethora of experience in organic synthesis and polymer characterization skills. I have learned how to do many types of reactions and polycondensations, and I have learned how to characterize products with NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy), GPC (gel permeation chromatography), and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), among others. These skills will be invaluable as I continue to research alternatives for current plastic production and methods of degradation.
What advice would you give other students interested in being involved with the UGA New Materials Institute?
My largest piece of advice is to be genuinely interested in the work you want to do and find labs with similar goals. It is incredibly rewarding to actively contribute to solving issues or questions that you have a connection with. It makes the experience more real and helps you to see the larger impact.
A pilot program co-managed by researchers from the UGA New Materials Institute to study curbside collection of food scrap and other organic waste in Athens-Clarke County resulted in more than 19 tons of collected material in three months, along with the community’s desire for more.
Congratulations to Brad Gilleland on receiving the 2024 Literary Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators at the group’s annual conference held last month. The Literary Award recognizes an AMI member who contributed an outstanding article to the Journal of Biocommunication, as judged by the journal’s editorial board. Gilleland is a coauthor on our manuscript published by the journal, “A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic™ Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations.”
FDM prints of a deformed domestic cat skull using PLA- (left) and PHBHHx- (right) based filaments. Photo by UGA/Brad Gilleland
Manuscript documenting study nominated for award
A non-toxic, biologically degradable 3D filament developed for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) had superior degradation and comparable precision in printing instructional and clinical medical specimens, when compared to samples from a conventional 3D filament, according to a study from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. Additionally, the manuscript to document the study, “A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic™ Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations,” has been nominated for the 2024 Literary Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators. The award will be presented later this summer at the group’s annual conference.
The filament, developed by a team at the UGA New Materials Institute, is made from a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), or PHBHHx, material. Printed cat vertebra, a skull bone, and an aortic arch cast from the PHBHHx-based filament had comparable surface quality when compared to conventional materials. The medical illustrations used to print the samples were designed by co-author Brad Gilleland, a medical illustrator in the Educational Resources Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who is a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators.
Samples of the PHBHHx-based extrudates degraded rapidly under industrial composting conditions, in under two months with no visible polymer remaining. Respirometry studies conducted by the UGA New Materials Institute’s Bioseniatic℠ Laboratory found the PHBHHx-based filament met the criteria for it to be described as a Bioseniatic™ material, achieving greater than 90% mineralization within 32 days in industrial composting conditions. No micronized plastic particles larger than 10 microns were formed during biodegradation, per Raman microscopy, and an earthworm study found the PHBHHx filament was nontoxic to Eisenia fetida.
“A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations” was published recently in the Journal of Biocommunication, 47(2), https://doi.org/10.5210/jbc.v47i2.13246. Additional co-authors on the study are Joshua C. Bledsoe, Austin F. Wright, Evan M. White, Grant H. Crane, Christopher B. Herron, Jason J. Locklin and Branson W. Ritchie. Their work was funded in part by a grant from the RWDC Environmental Stewardship Foundation.
The UGA New Materials Institute is committed to preventing waste through the design of materials and systems that adhere to Green Engineering principles. The Institute partners with industry and businesses to design materials for their use that are bio-based, fully biodegradable, or completely recyclable, and safe for people, animals and our planet. In addition, it works with businesses, governments, foundations and other organizations to redesign systems so that they generate less waste and promote circularity in materials management. The New Materials Institute is also shaping the future by training the next generation of scientists and engineers on the importance of considering Green Engineering design principles in everything they do. For more information, visit www.newmaterials.uga.edu.
Assembly of the steel roll carts at the UGA New Materials Institute in late January. From left:
Mira Ngoc Le, Michael Kandefer, Shawn Wallbillich and Austin Wright. Photo by Evan M. White
Athens-Clarke County is contemplating continuation and expansion of a program for curbside pickup of food waste and other organic materials that can be composted instead of landfilled, based on recent success with a pilot program conducted in partnership with the UGA New Materials Institute and funded by the Walmart Foundation.
For more information on the pilot program’s success, read this recent story from The Flagpole.
A new biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) could help reduce the environmental footprint of soft, durable plastics used in footwear, floor mats, and other applications for TPUs.
The biodegradation of the new material was validated by the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. The TPU was developed by researchers from the University of California San Diego, which modified a polymer from the BASF Corporation. The team’s collaboration was just published in Nature Communications.
Live bacterial spores from a strain of Bacillus subtilis were incorporated into the new TPU by mixing the spores and TPU pellets in a plastic extruder, melting the ingredients to 135 degrees Celsius and then extruding the material as thin strips of plastic. To assess the TPU’s ability to compost, the plastic strips underwent respirometry testing at the New Materials Institute’s Bioseniatic℠ Laboratory in both microbially active and sterile compost environments. The researchers found that, regardless of their environmental conditions, the strips achieved greater than 90% disintegration at 37 degrees Celsius in five months, validating its ability to biodegrade. Although the material did not meet compostability requirements at 42 degrees Celsius, as approximately 67–72% of the carbon from the TPU was metabolized to CO2 in 6 months of testing, this TPU has promising potentials for industrial composting applications.
Their work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Office (DE-EE0009296); UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and the National Science Foundation (DMR-2011924).
Fans dispose of trash in organized bins at Foley Field during a zero waste initiative at the first game of the baseball series against Arkansas.
In late January, nearly 400 steel trash cans appeared at the ends of driveways in Athens’ Normaltown, Boulevard and Cobbham neighborhoods, attracting neighbors’ curiosity.
The bins advertised the launch of a compost pilot program jointly conducted by the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department and the University of Georgia’s New Materials Institute, a consortium of UGA experts in green engineering. Funded by a Walmart Foundation grant, the program allows participants to dispose of compostable materials and food scraps in steel bins that are emptied once a week by ACC Solid Waste.
Composting—the recycling of organic matter like food waste—can play a critical role in a community’s sustainability efforts, said Evan White, an assistant research scientist faculty member who leads UGA’s participation in the pilot program.
“Food waste is the No. 1 contributor to landfill waste—about 25%,” White said. “Composting produces a better environmental outcome and expands the lifecycle of the landfill.”
Importantly, he noted, every one pound of food scraps composted saves about one pound of carbon dioxide emitted from landfills. The pilot program’s participants have been deeply engaged, both participating in weekly composting and completing surveys from ACC to evaluate their experiences.
