Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Beetle Plastic

Beetles may freak a lot of people out, but they they have helped develop an alternative to plastic.

Researchers at Wyss Institute were inspired by the exoskeletons of these little bugs. Shrilk, the material of the exoskeletons of beetles is made up of silk and chitin protein. Shrimp also has this same material in their shells. This material is clear, moldable and durable. It's also bio-degradable. This material could be used to create degradable packaging and tons of other things. It could replace plastic completely for a greener future.

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