17th March 2026, 1-3pm (CET)
Online via Zoom – register here
As the world seeks sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, biopolyester-based materials are emerging as a promising solution. This webinar brings together researchers from across Europe to explore cutting-edge developments in the frugal design of biobased materials — turning agricultural residues such as fruit pomace, tomato peels and peanut shells into high-value products.
From flexible mulching films to antimicrobial cutin building blocks extracted from tomato peel, our speakers will show how nature-derived polymers like PHBV and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are being developed and scaled for real-world applications. Whether you’re a researcher, industry professional, or curious about the future of sustainable materials, this webinar offers a full programme of insights from lab to pilot scale.
Programme:
13:00-13:15: Hélène Angellier-Coussy, University of Montpellier – Frugal design of biopolyester-based materials in the frame of the Agriloop project
13.15-13.35: Filip Miketa, BIO-MI – PHBV-based flexible films for mulching applications: from lab to pilot scale
13:35-13:55: Rita Escórcio, ITQB NOVA University of Lisbon – Unboxing the tomato peel to explore the antimicrobial properties of cutin building blocks
13:55-14:15: Natasha Bizzotto, University of Bologna – Lab-scale development of new materials based on cutin and bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates
14:15-14:35: Bénédicte Bakan, INRAE-BIA – The use of cutin monomers extracted from industrial fruit pomaces can make cellulosic materials hydrophobic
14.35-14.55: Tatiana Coutand, University of Montpellier – Safety-performance trade-off in PHBV/peanut shell biocomposites
14.55-15.00: Closing remarks
Who should attend?
Students, academia, industry, farmers, end users, policymakers