Probiotics for plants
Earlier in 2022, the European Commission proposed a new legal requirement for the EU to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. So could microbes and microbial crop protection products help farmers to combat plant pests and diseases with fewer or no chemical inputs? Anthony King reports
Fractured gas supply
The UK government has indicated its willingness to look at all possible energy options to end dependency on Russian gas and cope with spiralling prices. So could we bring back fracking as part of the solution? Maria Burke reports
Sweeter polymers
Plant based sugars are increasingly of interest as feedstocks to make greener, better performing plastics – including a polymer filler derived from sugar beet. Lou Reade reports
Highlighting H2O2 🔒
Hydrogen peroxide is not just useful for bleaching hair, but it is also forming the basis for a whole new approach to artificial photosynthesis, as Jon Evans discovers.