Biomaterials Lab
Plastic insulation like Styrofoam is commonplace in seafood packaging and buildings. But plastics never completely disappear, instead they break up into ever smaller particles or microplastic. These tiny particles are harmful to the soils, marine environment and wildlife, and may affect human health.
Researchers with the Biomaterials Lab seek to better understand the effects of these stray plastic bits. The team is working to solve the global plastic pollution problem by developing insulation that is recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable. Researchers combine design-thinking, microbiology, and physics to dream-up scalable biological materials that store carbon and provide a sustainable vital barrier from the elements.
Their key ingredients to de-carbonizing industries include beetle-kill spruce trees and renewable cellulose that is literally grown in a lab. The Biomaterials Lab is an active innovation platform for new bio-based materials and circular bio-economy solutions in the Circumpolar North. The lab uses norm-critical design thinking as a framework to tackle some of the most pressing environmental and public health problems facing the Arctic today.
NEWS & Stories
Over the course of 18 months, Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar and public health practice alumna Mariah Seater will be traveling to Iceland to research family justice centers in the Arctic with the hopes of applying her findings to Alaska communities.
Division of Population Health Sciences alumna By Thao has been named one of Alaska’s 2025 Top Forty Under 40.
Master of Public Health student highlights the importance of inclusive education and accessible resources in improving sexual health for Alaskans.
Several Alaska state legislatures joined the annual Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice symposium to celebrate with faculty, alumni and nearly 40 students from the program.
Faculty members from the Division of Population Health Sciences held a reception to celebrate their graduating Spring class. Friends and family were invited to mark a milestone for students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS). Faculty held gold balloons that spelt out 2023 and posed with their students.
Upcoming Events
Contact Us:
Phone: 907-786-6574
Email: nbbeckage@alaska.edu
