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
The UAA/ISU Doctor of Pharmacy Program shows that now more than ever, leadership comes down to knowing when and how to pivot—adapting with purpose to serve communities across Alaska and Idaho.
UAA's College of Health and Idaho State University (ISU) continue their collaboration to offer pharmacy education in Anchorage, now in its eighth year.
Alaska continues to see staffing shortages at pharmacies, made worse by the pandemic, but also due to conditions affecting the state more broadly. UAA/ISU Doctor of Pharmacy program faculty member, Dr. Coleman Cutchins, discusses the issue with Alaska Public Media.
Who’s ready to be scared? For this episode of Pharmacy Fusion, we're venturing into the eerie and enigmatic realms of fear, a topic that touches on both the psychological and pharmaceutical aspects of our lives.
There are many pathways a person can take in choosing their career. Have you ever thought about how many people have degrees they aren't using? Chris Nicolette thought he wanted to be a pharmacist but along the way realized how much he loved the science of studying drug interactions in the human body. Now, he's working to earn a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at ISU, and looking forward to a promising future in the world of pharmacology and drug discovery.
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Phone: 907-786-6574
Email: nbbeckage@alaska.edu
