Researchers at MIT have developed a new biodegradable polymer that can encapsulate nutrients, potentially reducing microplastic pollution and addressing global nutrient deficiencies.
Microplastics are an environmental hazard that has gained significant attention in recent years due to their widespread presence on Earth and potential harm to human health and the environment. In 2019, researchers at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research developed a polymer material that could be used to encapsulate vitamin A and other essential nutrients. They also found that people who consumed bread made from flour fortified with encapsulated iron showed increased iron levels.
However, since then, the European Union has classified this polymer as a microplastic and included it in a ban that went into effect in 2023. In response to this development, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation asked the MIT team if they could design an alternative material that would be more environmentally friendly.
The researchers turned to a type of polymer that had previously been developed by Robert Langer’s lab, known as poly(beta-amino esters). These polymers are biodegradable and break down into sugars and amino acids. By changing the composition of the material’s building blocks, researchers can tune properties such as hydrophobicity (ability to repel water), mechanical strength, and pH sensitivity.
The MIT team created five different candidate materials and tested them. They identified one that appeared to have the optimal composition for microplastic applications, including the ability to dissolve when exposed to acidic environments such as the stomach.
These particles could be used to encapsulate nutrients such as vitamin A, fortifying foods and helping to address nutrient deficiencies worldwide. The researchers also found that soap mixed with the new microplastic was more effective than a cleanser that includes polyethylene microbeads, and that the new biodegradable particles did a better job of absorbing potentially toxic elements.
The researchers are now working on further testing the microbeads as a cleanser and potentially other applications. They plan to run a small human trial later this year and gather safety data for potential GRAS classification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This new biodegradable material has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of microplastic released into the environment from health and beauty products, while also addressing nutrient deficiencies worldwide.
