Manufacture of seaweed-derived bioplastic materials for a circular bioeconomy

A large contributor to climate change is plastic waste pollution, with significant proportions of plastic waste being from fossil-based food packaging. There is therefore an unmet need for more circular materials for packaging applications, such as biomaterials derived from renewable feedstocks (e.g., seaweeds).

Seaweed-derived biomaterials have seen recent growth in commercial production for food packaging due to their diverse and high hydrocolloid contents that exhibit film-forming abilities, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Initial products reveal great market-potential, and with further improvements to mechanical-strength and water resistance their useability, application, and shelf-life could be further increased to fully compete with fossil-based counterparts. This project hypothesises that these property enhancements could be achieved by utilising additives also extracted from seaweed, underscoring the need for integrated biorefinery approaches that enable the obtainment of multiple products (biopolymers/additives) from seaweed.

The Kostas group, based at the new Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL) at UCL East, specialises in biorefining for the manufacture and recovery of seaweed products and extracts for a wide range of applications. In this project, you will investigate the performance of seaweed-based food packaging materials. Specifically, you will study the combination of seaweed-derived biopolymers with hydrophobic/philic compounds, and assess the mechanical and physicochemical properties of the resulting materials. Scale-up trials will be performed with promising formulations to determine the overall LCA/TEA of the manufacturing process. This project blends the seaweed bioprocessing and materials science expertise within UCL’s MFL. Experience and/or interest in bioprocess engineering is essential and biomass handling and materials characterisation is desirable. Relevant industry experience is also welcome.

Additionally, this project is supported by our industrial partner Notpla, a sustainable packaging company developing packaging solutions from seaweed and plants, to advance their product portfolio. This will provide the PhD candidate with valuable exposure to industrial expertise on scale-up and commercialisation of biobased products.

Application deadline is on 28th January 2025 at 13:00 UK time.

Guidance how to apply can be found here, and only applications submitted via the official portal will be considered for interviews:

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