Registration

Abstract submission

Plastics: challenges and biotechnological solutions

Society depends heavily on plastics for the vast majority of objects essential for everyday life. They are present in our furniture and toys, in the packaging of our foods and beverages, and even in the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics we use. Plastics are also used in the manufacture of clothes, car components, and household structures such as walls, ceilings, lavatories and electrical goods.
However, only a small minority of plastic waste is usefully recycled. Far too much is discarded into the environment where it degrades to nanoparticles that are consumed by wildlife in diverse ecosystems, often burdened with adsorbed environmental contaminants. Moreover, plastics generated from the oil industry degrade too slowly to prevent serious environmental pollution. Against this backdrop, hundreds – perhaps thousands – of companies worldwide are developing new products that both compete economically with traditional oil-based products and minimize the negative effects of their disposal when they become waste. A major goal for biotechnology is to produce a wide range of products suitable for recycling or rapid biodegradation.

The on-line meeting in March will again be a joint event with our partner Federation, AFOB (the Asian Federation of Biotechnology), to explore the range of new biobased materials that are becoming available. Sessions will focus on enzymes required for their synthesis or modification; their applications; and biodegradability. A fourth session will review the impact of plastics on the environment.

Register for the meeting and:

submit your abstract for an invited talk to show your scientific results,

present your company and your products,

attend the presentations to get to know the latest research,

take part in the discussions,

meet other scientists specialized in plastics.

The registration fee is only 28 euro.