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A University of Waterloo professor has received $100,000 from the Scotiabank Climate Action Research Fund to advance bacteria-powered technology that turns mixed waste streams into low-carbon products. 

Dr. Christian Euler from the Department of Chemical Engineering is investigating how landfill gas by-products and other waste materials can be transformed into valuable bioplastics at industrial scale.

An interdisciplinary research team at the University of Waterloo has developed a method to convert food waste into biodegradable plastics using bacteria. The plastics are soft and flexible, making them suitable for applications like food wrap, drug delivery systems and tissue engineering.

Led by Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dr. Trevor Charles, a professor in the Department of Biology, the team produced polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a type of plastic that decomposes into harmless byproducts.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Waterloo's Faculties of Engineering and Science have received $2.5 million in federal funding to develop new ways to convert waste materials into valuable commodities. 

Led by Dr. Christian Euler, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, the team is reimagining how plastics, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and agricultural residues can be transformed into biodegradable bioplastics or useful chemical products.

Microplastics, tiny particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastic materials, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health due to their resistance to decomposition. Until now, scientists have struggled to fully understand how these particles degrade, especially at the microscopic level.

In a groundbreaking study, Waterloo Engineering researchers Dr. William Anderson and Dr. Boxin Zhao, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC), have used 3D imaging technology to examine microplastics in unprecedented detail, a critical step toward improving plastic recycling methods.

An international research team’s data analysis model could help California’s strawberry farmers prepare their harvests for adverse conditions caused by warming temperatures. 

The team included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Poornima Unnikrishnan and professor Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam from the University of Waterloo's Department of Systems Design Engineering and Dr. Fakhri Karray from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi. Their research presents implications for the availability and cost of produce imported from California to Canada.