High-barrier packaging is of interest to those packaging products in the food pharmaceutical medical chemical and cosmetics industries. It is required to protect packaged products from the infiltration of unwanted gases water vapor and flavors. High-barrier films are usually achieved by co-extrusion lamination coating and layering of polymer films. However problems such as de-lamination and migration can limit the effectiveness and/or robustness of these barrier films eventually compromising the barrier characteristics of the packaging.

A researcher at the University of California Davis working in cooperation with an outside collaborator have developed a multi-stage process and system for treating organic waste materials. This process produces a high-quality compost derived from food waste and other organic materials while avoiding the environmental problems of traditional composting methods such as emissions of odors volatile organic compounds and other noxious gases.

Organic waste generation including domestic wastewater food industry waste and animal waste is a large problem in the United States. It is estimated that domestic wastewater generation alone is roughly 150 gallons per person per day. There have been many proposed solutions for organic wastewater treatment with Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) providing a tremendous opportunity for sustainable treatment of organic wastewater and conversion to electrical power.

Technology Description:Researchers at the University of California Davis have produced small esters (C4-C8) through the manipulation of microorganisms. A genetically modified microorganism was used to produce C4-C8 esters. These esters are used in nitrocellulose lacquers coatings for plastic substrates high solids coatings artificial flavouring and fragrance. Compared to the current ester production methods which heavily depend on petroleum this invention allows for environmentally friendly and sustainable production from a renewable source.

Succinic acid and other carboxylic acids have commercial relevance in the pharmaceutical food and polymer production industries as well as in the manufacture of other industrial chemicals. DescriptionMSU’s invention simplifies the process for the recovery of succinic acid from fermentation broths in the form of ethyl esters which enables separation of succinate by distillation.

The production of microalgae as a feedstock for refining into biodiesel requires optimization in the design of bioreactors. This technology provides that optimization by increasing the production of algae by maximizing the presence of the distributed solar energy during daylight and also providing the use of artificial lighting during the nonavailability periods of solar energy. Gas is injected in the algal slurry at the bottom of the bioreactor and travels to the top where it is separated from the liquid.

Background: Polylactic acid (PLA) is growing rapidly in popularity as an alternative to petroleum-derived plastics for packaging and other applications. It is biodegradable thermoplastic and derived from renewable resources. However there are characteristics associated with PLA that limit its workability. Particularly the slow crystallization rate of PLA makes it difficult to process for injection molding and extruding when compared with many other thermoplastics. Nucelating agents are known to increase crystallization rates and in fact many have been explored for use with PLA.

This solar oven is skillfully designed easily assembled and remarkably effective. You can download simple straightforward plans that will help you build your own solar oven. No expensive materials or tools are required. Our design has several advantages over other designs. The triangular shape of the oven helps capture sunlight in all seasons; our design allows full east-to-west exposure without rotating the oven. The beehive door prevents heat loss and allows the oven to accommodate large items such as stock pots turkey roasters and pizza pans.

Summary: Ethanol is a popular alternative to fossil fuels. The state of the art is that fungi such as the yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae can ferment ethanol from 6-carbon sugars typically glucose which is found in corn kernels and sugar cane. It is desirable that fungi can ferment 5-carbon sugars such as xylose and arabinose. These are found in some non-edible sources such as the corn cob husks and hardwoods. Once the fungi can ferment 5-carbon sugars we can use the cob and husks for fuel and use the kernels for food.

Plant biomass represents a vast and renewable source of energy. However harnessing this energy requires breaking down tough lignin and cellulose cell walls. In nature certain microbes can deconstruct biomass into simple sugars by secreting combinations of enzymes. Two organisms that utilize cellulose are Clostridium thermocellum and Trichoderma reesei. Both are well-known and relied upon in the biomass field. Yet research suggests another microorganism of the Streptomyces bacteria group may hold previously unrecognized potential.