Maria Auad, faculty member in Auburn University's Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, has been awarded a five-year, $350,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop a center for biorenewable nanobiomaterials research. The project, "NSF-CREST: Center of Excellence in Nanobiomaterials Derived from Biorenewable and Waste Resources,” will study the synthesis and performance of nanobiocomposites, an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetics.  

"We hope to make an impact reducing dependence on petroleum products and using waste products to produce engineered materials," said Auad "We may also be able to help solve some of the landfill problems we have in the U.S."

The collaborative center includes researchers from Auburn, Tuskegee University, Cornell University and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Contributed by Amelia Williams