To kick off the new year we are starting with a series of blog posts centralised around the plastic waste sector of the circular economy. It will predominantly be written by 4 first year PhD CDT Sustainable Chemistry students, from the University of Nottingham in cohort 7. We are specialising in the chemical and biological recycling of plastic, whereas the members of cohort 6, who created this website are interested in a wide range of research, all related to the circular economy. The series will cover the plastic waste problem, current challenges in recycling and the development of novel recycling technologies.
First, lets introduce ourselves...
Hi, I’m Morag, originally from Edinburgh and graduated from Newcastle University with a MChem (with Industrial training) degree June 2020. During my degree I completed an industrial placement at Lucite International, and a summer placement at Ingenza. On both placements I was working on a partnered sustainability project, aiming to replace an existing petrochemical process related to plastic. This insight into sustainability within industry led to my application to the CDT programme, with the hope of returning to industry after the completion of my PhD.
Hi, I’m Brad, and I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Chemistry. During my time at university, I developed a strong interest in polymer chemistry and the ongoing work around the development of new sustainable chemical processes, which drove me towards research focussed on plastic recycling. I grew up in North London and enjoy reading, cooking, and practicing Taekwondo.
Hi, I’m Callum, originally from Buckinghamshire, I graduated with a BSc and MRes in Biochemistry from the University of Portsmouth. I completed my master's research under the supervision of Dr Darren Gowers, identifying small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial DNA ligases, as targets for antibiotic development. My experience working in enzymology, and oppurtunities to work alongside the PETase development team at Portsmouth, has directed my interests towards using polymer-degrading enzymes for a more sustainable future.
Hi, my name is Zakaria and I am from Yemen. I graduated from the University of Leeds with a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and took a year off before returning to the university for an MSc degree in chemical engineering. I worked on synthesis and characterisation of dual-phase polymeric particles in my master's degree. In terms of research, I am interested in the research into innovative and sustainable means to tackle plastic pollution within the context of combating climate change.
Read more here: https://suschem-nottingham-cdt.ac.uk/index.php/students/cohort-7
We would like to inform you on the plastic waste problem, the challenges society is facing and share some interesting research that could help in the future. We hope you enjoy the series!
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