3D-printed polymer turns methane into methanol

                Scientists have combined 3D printed polymers with methane-eating bacteria to create the first reactor that can produce methanol form the greenhouse gas, and advance that may lead to a more efficient energy production. The researchers removed enzymes from methanotrophs, bacteria that eat methane, and mixed them with polymers that they printed or molded into innovative reactors. Remarkably, the enzymes retain up to 100% activity in the polymer. The printed enzymes-embedded polymer is highly flexible for future development and should be useful in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas-liquid reactions.