UC Davis researchers studying mycelium, the white filament-like root structure of mushrooms, are making strides towards creating a more sustainable planet. Researchers found that by growing mycelium with a biomass, such as coffee grounds or left-over agricultural waste, they can create sustainable structures that can be turned into everything from biodegradable plastics and circuit boards to filters that remove harmful antibiotic and pesticide residues from water.

UC Davis Global Affairs awarded grants to four College of Letters and Science faculty for international projects focused on renewable energy, biodesign, tuberculosis and democracy.

Jesús M. Velázquez, assistant professor of chemistry, and colleagues at UC Davis and in Mexico received a $7,500 award from a Global Affairs grant program aimed at achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Excitement for a biodegradable diaper designed by UC Davis students just keeps growing, like the bacterial cellulose the diaper is made from. The student group, dubbed Team Sorbit, was motivated to create the diaper by data showing about 4 million tons of disposable diapers end up in landfills, and the plastic and tree-pulp derived cellulose used in most diapers isn’t environmentally friendly.

Symbiotic colonies of yeast and bacteria, cellulose, soy protein, nanobodies. These aren’t the kinds of materials one expects to find in a design class, but the UC Davis Department of Design isn’t like most others.