When thinking about building a sustainable environment, recycling — reusing items once dismissed as waste — is a key mechanism. While the idea of repurposing human waste might make some cringe, urine has long been recognized for its richness in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. But using it as fertilizer hasn’t taken off, largely because those nutrients are already cheap and abundant. That’s why researchers are shifting their focus to other possibilities.
Inspired by the biology of bone-forming cells, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, along with collaborators across the U.S. and Japan, have discovered a novel way to reuse urea, a chemical found in urine, to manufacture hydroxyapatite, a valuable mineral with a wide range of uses.
Their study, published in Nature Communications, outlines potential applications from bone and dental implants, to archaeological restoration, biodegradable plastic alternatives, and even construction materials. In short, they’ve found a way to ...
