Biodegradable Biopolymers for Active Packaging
Biodegradable biopolymers for active packaging: demand, development and directions
Jessica R. Westlake, Martine W. Tran, Yunhong Jiang, Xinyu Zhang, Andrew D. Burrows and Ming Xie
Sustain. Food. Technol., 2023,1, 50-72 DOI: D2FB00004K
Meet the authors
Jess carried out her Undergraduate degree at the University of Bath, where she obtained a first-class master’s degree in Chemistry. During her undergraduate degree, she also carried out a year-long placement at a contract research organisation in Oxford. During this placement, she worked to synthesise therapeutic medicinal compounds. She is now highly motivated by the field of sustainable materials research, and enjoys working on materials that can have clear translational impacts on society. Her PhD research focuses on the formation of biodegradable active packaging materials with controlled release properties, under the supervision of Dr Ming Xie and Professor Andrew Burrows (Department of Chemistry). These materials are designed as alternatives to conventional plastics for food packaging applications, in order to reduce plastic waste. Active packaging functions to reduce food waste by prolonging the shelf-life of food via the release of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds or the sequestration of degradation-enhancing gases.
Dr Ming Xie is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at University of Bath. His research focuses on membrane-based technologies at the food-water-energy nexus. Dr Xie was the recipient of the Australia Chueng Kong Endeavour Award in 2018. Dr Xie has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, such as Nature Communication, Environmental Science and Technology, and Water Research. His research attracted research funding from Australia Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society, and Leverhulme Trust. Dr Xie has advised 5 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom hold leading positions in academia and industry.