When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists’ attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil’s coastline. Using ocean current models and chemical analysis, the team explains in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how some of the oily material managed to travel over 5,200 miles (8,500 kilometers) by clinging to debris.

Removing part or all of the breast during breast cancer treatment is a potential outcome for some people. Reconstructive surgical procedures often involve prosthetic implants or transplanted tissue from elsewhere in the body. So, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Bio Materials developed a prototype injectable paste derived from human skin cells that could help restore breast volume after tumor removal, with less scarring and shorter healing time than current options.

As global populations continue to grow, so does the need for nutritious food and efficient manufacturing processes. Current food production practices generate side streams that could be recycled. Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry fed the side streams of carrot production to fungi, generating a sustainable source of protein. They incorporated the new protein into proof-of-concept vegan patties and sausages that testers ranked as tastier than food made from plant-based proteins.