Action area: Biomass carbon cycle
Nadia Malinverno is an environmental scientist at Empa’s Technology and Society Lab and Kealie Vogel is an environmental scientist at Empa’s Technology and Society Lab and at Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials Lab.
Shown in the video is nanocellulose. This gel-like substance in the test tubes is a type of extra-refined cellulose that has been processed at nanoscale dimensions. Cellulose is a component of the cell walls of wood and one of the most abundant organic compounds on earth.
The patterned wood shown in the video is known as “spalted wood.” It has been “colored” by scientists at Empa using fungi to create unique wood designs for use in high-end furniture.