Ting Xu: Breaking the Wall of Plastic Waste | Falling Walls Science Summit 2022

Biodegradable plastics have existed for several years now and have been marketed as a means to fight the global plastic waste crisis. But even in the best cases, the process of degrading this plastic can be incredibly slow. It would take a typical water bottle 2-3 years to biodegrade in a landfill. In some cases, they even accelerate the formation of microplastics. So what if we had more control over the degradation process and could speed it up? An award-winning scientist, Ting Xu is a Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at Berkeley University in California. Xu has found a ground-breaking way of improving the biodegradation by harnessing the power of biology: Through the use of enzyme-embedded polymers, she can create triggers that determine when, where and how polymers degrade. At Falling Walls, Xu explains how the process works and how the production method is applied, so that the same water bottle could be broken down in only 5-6 weeks.

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Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year:

The prestigious title is awarded for groundbreaking research in all academic disciplines. Each year, Falling Walls announces one Science Breakthrough in each of the the categories Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Social Sciences & Humanities, Art & Science, Future Learning, Science & Innovation Management, Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture), Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage) and Emerging Talents (Falling Walls Lab). The bright minds behind the latest Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs and outstanding science projects were nominated by leading academics and academic institutions, research organizations, public and private research centers, universities, companies, foundations, and individuals. On 9 November, the anniversary of the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall, the Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2022 took up the stage at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin.
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About the Falling Walls Science Summit

Three days of intense scientific discussions, networking, and knowledge sharing in the incredible cosmopolitan city of Berlin!

The Falling Walls Science Summit is a leading international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral forum for scientific breakthroughs and science dialogue between global science leaders and society. The event takes place every year from 7–9 November in Berlin, commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall. With formats Falling Walls Pitches (7 November), Falling Walls Circle (8 November) and Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year (9 November), the Falling Walls Science Summit is the leading forum for global science leaders from academia, business, politics, the media, and civil society to debate the potential of scientific breakthroughs to solve grand challenges and shape a sustainable future. The Falling Walls Science Summit is organised by the non-profit Falling Walls Foundation.

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Save the Date:
FALLING WALLS
SCIENCE SUMMIT
7 – 9 NOV 2023

[FrancineAllen-ntgb]

As a citizen who is concerned about plastic pollution I'm always eager to learn about solutions. I hope to hear more in the development of UV enzyme protectant as time goes on.