DARTMOUTH – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Mass. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced Tuesday that the university has been awarded a $739,936 grant from the commonwealth to help develop a new research and development laboratory in New Bedford.
The new Plastics Biodegradation Laboratory at UMass Dartmouth will study biodegradable and ocean-safe plastics, according to The Innovation Institute at the MassTech Collaborative. The institute said the new lab will test plastic biodegradation, which will help address significant waste caused by traditional plastics used in textiles, packaging and other products accumulating in the ocean and other water resources.
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The institute said the lab will be housed at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology campus in New Bedford. The commonwealth’s investment will fund new lab equipment to study material biodegradability.
The grant, itself, was awarded by the institute’s Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant program, the institute said, and will be paired with $1 million in match funding with more than $450,000 coming from private industry partners. Such partners include PrimaLoft, Radical Plastics of Beverly, Paramount Planet Product, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Lowell, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Boston-based SeaAhead, and the U.S. Army Soldier Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center.
“With this new biodegradability lab, our university will be able to create research opportunities for students and faculty while providing impactful results and economic benefits to government and industry,” UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Mark Fuller said in a statement. Polito also said in her respective statement that the lab will help solidify Massachusetts’ role as a leader regarding research and development in the blue tech sector.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
