Gabrielle and her team identified over 50 Amazonian plant products that could be used in the creation of sustainable and biodegradable packaging materials. She is currently writing a review article on this work that can highlight promising materials and identify gaps in the scientific literature. This study will serve to guide future experimental work to identify how these materials can be combined in multi-layer packaging, in collaboration with researchers at INPA.
Gabrielle's Story
The purpose of this Gabrielle's internship was to identify sutainable packaging solutions made from Amazonian materials that can be used by local agricultural and promote the development of local bioeconomies.
Gabrielle was able to approach this research project in a very similar way to her thesis work at MIT. She used her skills in literature reviews to gain a sense of the types of materials that could be promising, and identify key parameters that are needed to perform the technoeconomic analysis. She was also able to use the skills I have developed in generating scientific figures and programming to produce visuals to communicate the results of the study.
As part of her work Gabrielle had the opportunity to visit Jamaraquá, a community in the Tapajós National Forest. This community collects latex from rubber trees and fibers from palms to produce artisanal goods. As a researcher who works primarily with polymers, seeing their fabrication process was very interesting to her and one of the most memorable experiences she had during my stay.
"[MISTI] is such a unique opportunity that will enrich you academic career and open your eyes to new perspectives."Gabrielle Godbille-Cardona
Major & Class Year
M.S. Chemical Engineering '27
Location
Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
MISTI Program
Internship
MISTI Host
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)