Research summary
Commodities like plastics, textiles and electronics have revolutionized our modern world. But their production at scale has had major environmental consequences and led to an accumulation of non-biodegradable and toxic wastes. To address this issue, Dr. Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, Canada Research Chair in Biologically-Derived Materials, is using natural building blocks derived from living microorganisms to come up with greener material alternatives in a scalable manner.
Biological materials offer unprecedented advantages in terms of biocompatibility and biodegradability. Genetic modifications to them also offer the potential to introduce new functions. Dorval Courchesne and her research team are combining biology with engineering to solve sustainability challenges and design biomaterials that respond to our evolving industrial and societal needs.