news
The Conversation: Researchers develop biodegradable, plant‑based packaging from natural fibers – new research
Primary tabs
Jie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment.
Jie and I had been hoping to identify naturally occurring whitening pigments that could be used in paper and paints. The beetle’s white exoskeleton is made from a compound called chitin, which is a type of carbohydrate – one that is also commonly found in crab and lobster shells.
Read the full article in The Conversation here: https://bit.ly/4uBteYr
Status
- Workflow status: Published
- Created by: ychernet3
- Created: 03/17/2026
- Modified By: ychernet3
- Modified: 03/17/2026
Categories
- No categories were selected.
Keywords
- No keywords were submitted.
User Data