In the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers show that 20 % of forest residue torrefied at 220 °C raises polylactic acid tensile strength from 58.7 to 62.3 MPa, cuts water uptake 16 % and reaches near-total biodegradation under compost conditions six percentage points faster than virgin PLA. The work delivers a scalable route to bulk-load bioplastic with zero-cost mill waste without the usual loss of mechanical performance.

Writing in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers describe a continuous, glue-assisted winding line that converts flattened bamboo splits into 8-, 10- and 12-mm drinking straws with compressive strength (16–19 MPa) and wet strength (15.6 N vs 3.6 N for paper) that out-perform polypropylene, PLA and coated paper rivals. Soaking plus 60 °C ultrasonic treatment leaches colour bodies and starch, cutting later mould risk by >90 % and water absorption by roughly 40 %. Consumer acceptance among 1 500 café users topped 90 %; raw-material cost per straw is US$0.0007 and factory-gate price US$0.014—about half that of commercial paper straws. Life-cycle data suggest 0.32 g CO₂-e per straw, one-tenth the burden of PP. Authors say the route is ready for 100-million-piece annual lines serving bubble-tea chains and airlines under new plastic-ban timetables.

Writing in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, a Berkeley researcher has synthesised a decade of global data to show that engineered strains of Synechocystis, Synechococcus and Anabaena already deliver gram-per-litre titres of ethanol, 620 nmol H₂ mg⁻¹ chlorophyll h⁻¹, 1.24 g L⁻¹ isobutanol and 0.5 % dry-weight alkanes—outputs that beat maize fermentation on carbon efficiency but lag E. coli by 5- to 20-fold on volumetric productivity. The review identifies magnetic-nanoparticle flocculation, CRISPR-evolved alcohol-tolerant mutants and internally-illuminated photobioreactors as the three levers most likely to push the technology past the 10 g L⁻¹ threshold demanded by refiners, while warning that open-pond escape of transgenic strains and photo-inhibition inside large reactors remain unresolved ecological and engineering risks.

From copper-oxide rods to silver/chitosan coatings and in-situ zinc-borate cubes, nanotech outperforms CCA, ACQ and thermal modification while cutting leaching, claim researchers.

Engineers have long compressed wood to mimic steel, but the gain is usually one-directional and rebounds with moisture. Writing in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers report a chemical-only protocol—partial delignification followed by LiCl/DMAc swelling and room-temperature drying—that drives cellulose fibrils to collapse inward and lock solidly by hydrogen bonds. The resulting 1.25 g cm⁻³ timber shows 496 MPa tensile strength, 392 MPa flexural strength and 75 kJ m⁻² impact toughness, values that rival aluminum alloys and out-perform earlier densified woods along and across the grain. Because no hot-pressing or synthetic resin is required, the material keeps its shape in humidity and can be whittled into nails that hold >300 N. The work offers architects and automakers a lightweight, carbon-negative alternative to metals and concrete.

A new study published in Frontiers of Engineering Management presents a comprehensive evaluation system to assess innovation vitality in enterprises. The study utilizes exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to create a robust framework for evaluating the key dimensions of innovation—persistence, volatility, and growth. This system is designed to help enterprises, especially in the advanced materials manufacturing sector, enhance their innovation capabilities.

Researchers in China have discovered an innovative way to improve the stability and efficiency of biogas production by using carbon materials made from lignin, a major byproduct of the paper industry. The study, published in Carbon Research, demonstrates that two lignin-derived materials, lignin hydrochar (LHC) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), can effectively reduce ammonia inhibition, a long-standing challenge in anaerobic digestion systems.

The study investigated compounds that can be used as electrolytes in sodium-ion devices. Sodium is an abundant and widely distributed element. The equipment shows great promise for storing surplus energy from solar and wind farms.

The newly assembled chromosome-level genome of Diospyros deyangensis (“Deyangshi”), an autotetraploid wild persimmon species, provides key insights into the evolution and juvenile growth of persimmon. This wild plant, known for flowering within just one to two years, contrasts sharply with cultivated persimmon, which requires five to eight years to mature. The high-quality genome revealed a recent whole-genome duplication event and identified DdELF4 as a major regulator suppressing flowering. Functional validation in Arabidopsis confirmed DdELF4’s role as a flowering repressor. The findings not only deepen our understanding of persimmon evolution but also open new possibilities for developing early-flowering cultivars to accelerate breeding.