[HN Gopher] New discovery toward sugar origami
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       New discovery toward sugar origami
        
       Author : wglb
       Score  : 19 points
       Date   : 2023-07-07 19:51 UTC (3 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (phys.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (phys.org)
        
       | dottjt wrote:
       | Maybe we'll have a chance to get off oil-based plastics after-
       | all.
        
         | nomel wrote:
         | I know little of chemistry, but I would assume this wouldn't
         | work where longevity was needed, especially in moist
         | environments, since there are plenty of bacteria that will
         | happily break down the types of bonds in carbohydrates.
        
           | themitigating wrote:
           | Could it work in a situation where it provided the structural
           | support and was coated in plastic?
        
             | toss1 wrote:
             | Protective coating could be a good approach for some
             | things, typically of intermediate lifespan.
             | 
             | Protective coatings are becoming used more and more
             | extensively in many fields, and they can produce
             | astonishing results.
             | 
             | That said, with applications for sugar-based structures,
             | the slightest flaw, scratch, cut, or perforation becomes a
             | barn door through which bacteria can drive their
             | metaphorical horses and carriage.
             | 
             | But for temporary applications such as packaging, a sugar-
             | based material with a thin coating (maybe plastic, maybe
             | another material) to preserve it for a short life, but
             | allow it to biodegrade or compost could be excellent. For
             | example, I find it particularly ironic that when the garden
             | is out of season, I go to the grocery store only to find
             | "organic triple washed" greens packaged in permanent
             | plastic clamshells that will last for years. Sure, it does
             | the job of getting the greens to us, but then it is making
             | the problem worse.
        
           | drycobbler wrote:
           | Bacteria famously can't break down cellulose--wet or dry--, a
           | structure made of glucose monomers. It took fungus hundreds
           | of millions of years of evolution to develop the ability to
           | break down cellulose.
        
           | [deleted]
        
           | froggit wrote:
           | That isn't an issue here. Structural polysaccharides, such as
           | the cellulose used in this case, can be engineered to be
           | extremely durable while remaining biodegradable. In cases
           | where extreme longetivity is required (i.e. decades,
           | centuries, universal heat death, etc.), biodegradable
           | materials were never an option to begin with.
        
             | nomel wrote:
             | I'm not sure I understand. You seem to be restating what I
             | said. These are not appropriate for longevity, and will
             | biodegrade. Could you help me understand what I'm missing
             | here?
        
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