Nanocellulose from waste
Siberian scientists have turned agricultural waste into a material for creating artificial leather
A cheap method for obtaining bacterial nanocellulose was developed by employees of the Institute of Problems of Chemical and Energy Technologies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPHET SB RAS). The new material can be used in medicine, for example, for 3D printing of cartilage and creating artificial skin.
Bacterial nanocellulose has a number of advantages over its vegetable counterpart – ordinary cellulose. Its fibers are longer, wider and stronger. There are practically no impurities in such cellulose that would worsen its strength and absorbing properties, the press service of the Russian Science Foundation reports.
The staff of the bioconversion laboratory of IPHET SB RAS has developed a new method for obtaining a nutrient medium for the synthesis of bacterial nanocellulose. Scientists have proposed using oat husks and biomass of industrial grain – miscanthus as feedstock. To turn raw materials into sugar solutions to produce nanocellulose, scientists use enzymes that accelerate chemical reactions.
Bacterial nanocellulose can be used in medicine to create artificial skin – it plays an active role in stimulating regenerative processes, helping wound healing. Already today it is used to create new materials and nanocomposites.
Due to the large surface area and porous structure, nanocellulose is also able to absorb a significant amount of various substances, which can be used in medicine to create dressings. The high strength of bacterial nanocellulose makes it possible to use it as a material for 3D printing of certain types of human tissue, for example, cartilage.
Scientists presented their research at the international forum "Biotechnology: state and prospects of development. Life Sciences" (Mironova et al., Optimization of the composition of a multienzyme composition for obtaining nutrient media from cellulose-containing raw materials. Collection of materials of the Congress, pp.731-733 – VM.
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