Engineer This!: Making bioplastics with help from bacteria (featuring Dr. Bella Chu)

Plastic waste is plaguing our planet, filling landfills and oceans with trash. However, research at Texas A&M University is working with bacteria that feed on wastewater sludge to harness a byproduct of this process — materials that can be used to develop biodegradable bioplastics. On this episode of Engineer This!, our hosts talk with Dr. Bella Chu, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and doctoral student Fahad Asiri, to learn how they are finding ways to innovate the plastics industry, ranging from aquaculture to medical fields to the plastic bottles we use every day.