As an alternative to single-use plastic wrap and paper cup coatings, researchers in ACS’ Langmuir report a way to waterproof materials using edible fungus. Along with fibers made from wood, the fungus produced a layer that blocks water, oil and grease absorption. In a proof-of-concept study, the impervious film grew on common materials such as paper, denim, polyester felt and thin wood, revealing its potential to replace plastic coatings with sustainable, natural materials.

Unless you’ve owned reptiles, you might not know that many of them “pee” crystals. Researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society investigated the solid urine of more than 20 reptile species and found spheres of uric acid in all of them. This work reveals how reptiles uniquely package up and eliminate crystalline waste, which could inform future treatments for human conditions that also involve uric acid crystals: kidney stones and gout.

Researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have devised a battery powered by vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and glucose. Inspired by how human bodies break down glucose for energy using enzymes, the team incorporated riboflavin into a prototype flow cell battery. The riboflavin mediator helped shuttle electrons between the battery’s electrodes and the glucose electrolyte, generating an electrochemical flow from the energy stored in the sugar.

Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys: They trap sediments, absorb excess nutrients and turn pollutants into less harmful substances. Now, the list of pollutants wetland plants can remove includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). From a greenhouse study, researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology report that moisture-loving yellow flag irises and fungi on their roots are a promising combination for PFAS removal. As part of a constructed wetland, this pair could effectively treat contaminated wastewater.