Biotechnology solutions for plastics problems

Of the nearly 400 million tons of plastic waste produced annually, about half ends up discarded, polluting landscapes and waterways worldwide. Developing sustainable ways to recover, break down and transform plastic waste into useful materials remains challenging.

The University of Delaware's Mark Blenner is addressing this challenge by harnessing biotechnology to degrade polyethylene, a hard-to-recycle plastic commonly found in single-use films and packaging. His efforts have earned him the 2025 Langer Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Excellence from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Blenner, one of the Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professors in UD's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), earned his doctorate from Columbia University and completed postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School.

He will receive the Langer Prize and present an associated lecture on November 3 at the 2025 AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston. The prestigious honor, named for biomedical pioneer Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, awards an unrestricted grant of up to $100,000.

"Mark's work exemplifies the creativity and collaboration needed to drive solutions to society's most pressing environmental challenges," said Pamela M. Norris, dean of the College of Engineering. "The Langer Prize recognizes his innovative approach and the potential of his research to drive transformative impact."

From podcast to partnership

While the Langer Prize is an individual honor, Blenner emphasized that the effort reflects a close partnership with Kevin Solomon, also a Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professor in CBE. They launched the project shortly after both joined the UD faculty in 2021.

The inspiration, Blenner said, came from a podcast episode about insect larvae that can break down plastics. Evidence at the time suggested that microbes in the larvae's gut were responsible, much like how animals require microbes to digest complex carbohydrates.