Day 3 :
Keynote Forum
David Grewell
Iowa State University, USA
Keynote: Sustainable Plastics and the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites
Time : 09:00-09:25
Biography:
David Grewell received a BS, MS and PhD in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University with minors in biomedical engineering and polymer processing in 1989, 2002 and 2005, respectively. He holds 14 patents and has published 50 journal, nearly 100 refereed conference papers, two books and has been an invited lecture to 7 international conferences. He is a Society Fellow within the Society of Plastic Engineers. His interests include bio-fuels, bio-materials, joining of plastics, micro-fabrication and laser processing of materials. He is currently at Iowa State University as a Professor in the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and has courtesy appointments with the Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department, Food Science Department as well as at Erlangen University in Germany. He is also the Director of the NSF center on Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2).
Abstract:
In this presentation, we review the basic concepts and history of bioplastics and biocomposites. We then provide an overview of the current state of the field. While there have been many early developments in bioplastics and examples of biocomposites in the last 60 years, today this technology has gained increased interest with many applications, and there are new products and materials under development and commercialization. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recently funded an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) focused on bioplastics and bioplastics. Designated as the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2), this center is led by Iowa State University and Washington State University. The thrust of this new NSF center will be reviewed along with the center’s benefits to the bioplastics and biocomposites industry.
Keynote Forum
Luiz H. C. Mattoso
Embrapa Instrumentation, Brazil
Keynote: Food nanotechnology concepts applied to pectin-based edible packaging materials
Time : 09:25-09.50
Biography:
Luiz Mattoso has completed his Ph.D in Materials Engineering in 1993 from Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil). He was a visiting scientist at Université Montpellier (France), Domaine Universitaire de Grenoble (France), and USDA (CA, USA). He is the Center Director of Embrapa Instrumentation, a Brazilian federal research organization. He has published more than 255 papers in reputed journals and 29 book chapters, edited 9 books, won over 25 awards and distinctions, filed 14 patents, served as reviewer of 17 journals and as editorial board member of Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining; Progress in Rubber, Plastics and Recycling Technology; and Polímeros.
Abstract:
Pectins are vegetal, dietary, solution-processable biopolymers that are promising for edible coating and biodegradable packaging uses. Current research is showing that they play a role on the prevention of numerous diseases as well, including diabetes and carcinogenesis. The research conducted at the LNNA of Embrapa in Brazil has demonstrated that the potential of edible pectin films can be upgraded with nanotechnology to create new multifunctional materials for: active packaging, exemplified by the incorporation of cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions (the major constituent of cinnamon essential oil) into edible pectin films; and bioactive packaging, exemplified by the reinforcement of edible pectin films by very small brucite (a Mg2+-rich primitive clay) nanoplates. Cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions rendered antimicrobial properties to pectin films against foodborne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial inhibition for same cinnamaldehyde content is remarkably improved as the nanoemulsion droplet size is reduced due to an increase in surface area. Mechanical and thermal properties of dietary pectin films were significantly improved due to the reinforcing effect of brucite nanoplates. Furthermore, migration assays using arugula leaves confirmed that brucite-reinforced pectin films are capable of fortifying foods with Mg dosages by migration. These findings demonstrate how dietary pectin films can be designed for advanced food packaging applications where the packaging material itself promotes consumer health, both by lowering preservative content and supplementing diet with target micronutrients.