Human impacts such as over-fishing, climate change and pollution are causing sea urchins to thrive, leading to the destruction of kelp and desertification of the sea floor in places. The dramatic worldwide loss of kelp forests means fewer safe birthing grounds for many species of fish. But marine eco-farmers Urchinomics are working to turn around…
Feeling sheepish about that old woolly jumper that went in the bin? Ready to throw in the towel when it comes to disposing of used bathroom wash cloths? A New Zealand company is hoping for an exciting “rags-to-riches” story as they raise capital for a new textile recycling pilot plant. With the textile industry being…
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the incredible discovery of graphene. The elusive nano-material demonstrates astounding properties with applications including electronics, clothing, paints, healthcare and water purification. In particular graphene is actively being explored as a foundation for targeted therapeutics and implantable devices and sensors. Collaborations between industry and research groups have been forging…
A spinoff company from the Australian National University plans to shake up the garment industry with recycling of polyester, a commonly used fabric derived from petrochemicals. Now with fresh funding of AUD $100 million, the company is building up a family of biological catalysts with applications across a wide range of industries. Samsara Eco sprung…
I first clapped my ears on Ghost In The Machine, the fourth album in the illustrious career of British rock band The Police, as a spotty faced teenager. The cover art for that album features images of three musicians depicted as a glitchy digital display, alluding to the concept of the human mind taking on…
“Where there’s muck, there’s brass”. So the saying goes. But in the case of University of Canterbury technology startup Zincovery it was more a case of, wherever there’s horrid industrial waste there’s zinc. So when chemistry student Jonathan Ring and his Masters supervisor Dr Aaron Marshall discovered just how much of that waste was going…
