New Artificial Cheese Rind Can Turn Organic Material Into Safe Sealant
Camembert Camembert has a characteristic soft white coating that protects the maturing cheese until it's ready to be eaten. Wikimedia Commons A new material based on blue cheese fungus can attack and eat bacteria that comes in contact with it, protecting foods from spoiling. The material was designed to mimic the way rinds protect soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie, but it could conceivably be used as a self-cleaning coating for other surfaces - so long as you don't mind a little fungus. Researchers at ETH Zurich wanted to build biologically based smart materials, which can be adapted to a wide variety of uses. They drew inspiration from cheese rinds, which (along with tangy flavor) protect cheese from invading microorganisms. Researchers led by Lukas C. Gerber started with a thin plastic sheet that they covered in a mixture of Penicillium roqueforti fungus, which is used to make blue cheese. The fungus...