De La Salle University garnered a new patent from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for its latest invention, which presents an enabling framework for more ways to recycle paper cups.
Developed by Department of Biology faculty member Dr. Jose Isagani Janairo and Department of Chemistry part-time faculty member Brandon Cyril Lira, the invention (“rollable pipette tip material”) provides an innovative approach to solving the overwhelming problem of plastic waste management.
According to the researchers, paper cups lined with a thin polyethylene film (also known as paper plastic laminates, or PPL) are among the most abundant plastic wastes, yet they are very challenging to recycle. Thus, the creation of pipette tips from disposed coffee cups offers a novel approach to recycling PPL. Compared to the standard polypropylene pipette tips, fabricated PPL pipette tips exhibit a similar level of accuracy in drawing and dispensing liquids.
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Congratulations to Dr. Jose Isagani Janario and his colleague, Brandon Cyril Lira, on…
Posted by DLSU Department of Biology on Friday, August 2, 2024
The created PPL pipette tips are ideal for use in lower-level educational experiments in which research-grade consumables are not a crucial requirement. The presented proof-of-concept has promising potential in aiding the waste management of disposable paper cups and pipette tips, thus making laboratory science education more sustainable.
This invention is Janairo’s second patent; with his previous patent (“hand tool for determining if a rubber cup lump is battery acid-coagulated”), the expert sought to enhance the competitiveness of the Philippine rubber industry.—Press release via DLSU/MF
