The University of Cyprus (UCY) and the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) are joining forces with two local companies, AmaDema – Advanced Materials Design & Manufacturing (https://amdmcomposites.com/) and Elysee (https://elysee.com.cy/) on the occasion of the research project “PlantNGreen”.
The “PlantNGreen” project
The research project “PlantNGreen” entitled “Development of functional, biodegradable fibrous nursery bags for ecological tree cultivation ” (CODEVELOP-GT/0322/033) is funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism of the European Instrument NextGenerationEU, through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, with a funding of 727.620 Euros and has a duration of two years (2023-2025). The ultimate objective of the project is the manufacture of innovative functional bio-sustainable nanofibrous materials that have the potential to replace existing, non-biodegradable polyethylene plastic bags, which are currently used as containers/bags for placing plants and small seedlings before transplanting.
The use and disposal of plastic products in the environment, which cannot be degraded, results in the contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Through the PlantNGreen research project, using advanced technologies such as electrospinning, which has already been applied at industrial level, innovative biodegradable nanofibre “green” nursery bags are developed and further modified with selected plant growth promoters for use in ecological plant/dendril cultivation, thus promoting both environmental protection and assisting their growth.
The partners
The implementation of this project is based on a constructive collaboration between two public academic institutions in Cyprus, the PC (Coordinator) and the CUT, as well as two local companies, AmaDema – Advanced Materials Design & Manufacturing (https://amdmcomposites.com/) and Elysee (https://elysee.com.cy/). The coordinator of the project is Professor Theodora Krassia-Christophorou, Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering of the University of Cyprus, and Head of the Polymer Synthesis, Characterization and Processing Laboratories, while from the CUT the research group Plant Stress Physiology Group, of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, led by Professor Vassilios Fotopoulos, is participating.
Source: University of Cyprus | Latest news (https://shorturl.at/ZOeUo)