PCT PORTRAITS: Never mind the acronyms. Meet the innovators

Bio-plastics: letting the planet breathe

Petroleum-based plastics, the convenience materials par excellence of the 20th century, are clogging the pores of our planet.

Combating the environmental scourge is Novamont, a research-based company in northern Italy led by Dr. Catia Bastioli. Novamont's project, "Living Chemistry for Quality of Life," is anchored in Dr. Bastioli's firm conviction that scientific research should benefit mankind.

"If we look at the problems of waste, climate change and pollution of the air, water and soil...then unless industry takes responsibility for what it is doing in a very short time we will destroy the planet," Dr. Bastioli told Reuters. "We need to meet the needs of the present generation without sacrificing the lives of future generations."

Material scientists at Novamont invented Mater-Bi, a 100 percent biodegradable and compostable bio-polymer, made from corn starch and similar renewable resources of vegetable origin. Already a market-leading bio-plastic, Mater-Bi has the versatility of conventional plastics. It is being used in the manufacture of products, including bags, packaging, tires, toys and disposal diapers. Agricultural applications include fully biodegradable mulching film, which in turn reduces the need for pesticides, accelerates the cultivation cycle, and cuts down water consumption.

Novamont's contribution to sustainable development has been recognized in a string of awards. These include the 2002 "World Summit Business Award for Sustainable Development Partnership," given in Johannesburg by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and by the International Chambers of Commerce.

Founded in 1989, Novamont today has a turnover of euros30 million and employs over a hundred people. With over 20 PCT applications to her name, Dr. Bastioli has made extensive use of the PCT in the company's IP strategy, as well as registering the Novamont and Mater-Bi trademarks via the Madrid system.

Brain chip translates thoughts to actions

A micro-device capable of reading the thoughts of a paralyzed person and translating them into actions? This surely is the stuff of science fiction. But a project led by neuroscientist Professor John Donoghue of Brown University, Rhode Island, in the United States, is turning fiction into fact.

Building on years of...