Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have discovered that silkworm cocoons possess incredible refrigeration properties.

Tufts biomedical engineers, led by David L. Kaplan (pictured below), are seeking a solution to a serious obstacle: how to keep life-saving pharmaceuticals cold. Most vaccines, enzymes and antibodies and many antibiotics and other drugs require constant refrigeration from manufacture to delivery to maintain their effectiveness.

“Silk protein has a unique structure and chemistry that makes it strong, resistant to moisture, stable at extreme temperatures and biocompatible, all of which make it very useful for stabilizing antibiotics, vaccines and other drugs.” says Kaplan, who has been studying silk for two decades.

Measles is one of the leading killers of children worldwide. Without refrigeration, the MMR vaccine rapidly loses potency. But after six months of storage in freeze-dried silk films at body temperature (37 degrees C) and at 113 F (45 degrees C), all components of the vaccine retained approximately 85 percent of their initial potency. found that silk stabilization preserved the efficacy of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as penicillin and tetracycline, at a wide range of temperatures (at least up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit).

Researchers have not only found a solution to "the cold chain", but also uncovered a way to provide refrigeration for months and possibly years at temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. by stabilizing them in a silk protein made from silkworm cocoons.

According to co-author and research assistant professor Bruce Panilaitis, the research team hasn’t found any pharmaceutical that they have been unable to stabilize. Panilaitis says the use of silk protein as an insulator could be a “universal storage and handling system.”

This is definitely a research team to keep your eye on. If a material derived from silkworm protein can effectively keep vaccines cool in sweltering temperatures, imagine what other everyday objects it can refrigerate. This material could conserve a lot of energy - in a natural way! It could be used in food or beverage packaging, athletic apparel, home insulation, the possibilities are endless...

Of course, if the technology is scaled up, careful consideration of the silkworm population will have to be taken.

What do you think, readers?

Sources:  Tufts University , PopTech

Designer Joey Roth introduces a clever planter made out of terracotta that naturally irrigates plants.

Roth was inspired by the "olla" an ancient irrigation tool that farmers still use to conserve water in arid climates. A user simply pours water in the center chamber and the planter’s porous earthenware material allows water to gradually seep into the surrounding soil. It is an efficient system because virtually no water is lost to evaporation or run-off.

The planter is 8 inches in diameter and 6 inches tall and is designed to hold three herbs or six succulents. The vessel can hold up to 2.5 liters of soil and 0.4 liters of water and it is suitable for indoor or outdoor use. For indoor gardeners, this self irrigating planter means you won't need to worry about a puddle of water accumulating on your floor if you over water.

Roth's design philosophy is to combine simple functionality with honest, unfinished materials. His planter isn't available for sale yet, but you an pre-order it at JoeyRoth.com for $45.

Sources: Joey Roth & Core77

Stop carrying around bulky speakers or iPhone accessories! Eco-amp is a portable, sustainable amplifier that suits all of your eco geek needs.

When eco-made set out to design a better iPhone speaker amplifier, they noticed that most portable phone amps were bulky, expensive, made out of plastic, and not recyclable. Eco-made strives to produce products that are manufactured locally and consist of environmentally friendly materials, while maintaining a high level of design quality. All of these lofty product goals are achieved with the company's debut product; eco-amp.

Eco-amp can be easily assembled and used on the on the go to amplify the music in your iPhone. Use it on vacation, by the pool, at a picnic - anywhere you want to share your music! It is made out of 100% post consumer paper. Eco-made designs and manufactures eco-lamp in Los Angeles, California. The product then ships to customers in flat envelopes. Don't worry if you accidentally spill beer on your eco-amp, since its paper you can just recycle it and replace it. The amps are sold in pairs.

Watch the video below to see how eco-amps are assembled:

What you need to know about eco-amp:
• Designed for iPhones 4 and 4S
• Constructed out of Environment® series papers, which are FSC Certified Post Consumer, 100% Post Consumer and Alternative Fiber Papers, Green Seal™ Certified and Made with 100% Green Energy, and Made Carbon Neutral Plus
• Packaging printed with soy-based ink

Like how that sounds? Buy a pair of eco-amps for just $7.99 from the Eco Made website. I look forward to seeing what other products eco-made is cooking up!

Sources: Eco Made & Design Milk

Are you having a hard time finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a special eco-minded lady in your life? You only have one day left, so time is running out!

Here are 5 last minute V-day gift essentials with a green twist:

1. Organic, fair trade chocolates

When you are in the grocery store or drug store looking for chocolate, look for a brand that boasts organic cacao or has a fair trade seal. Also note the amount of packaging on the bar or box – the more recyclable the better! These eco-friendly chocolates may not come in a heart shaped box, but they taste just as delicious. Plus, your sweetie will appreciate your sensitivity to the environment. The chocolate pictured above is from Dagoba.

2. A potted houseplant

Give your loved one a living plant instead of cut flowers. The gesture is still romantic and the plant and will last infinitely longer than any bouquet. You can buy a houseplant at your local florist or hardware store and will cost roughly the same amount, or less, than a bouquet or roses! The orchids pictured above can be purchased at Home Depot.

3. Eco-friendly lingerie

Set the mood this Valentine's Day with some sexy, green lingerie. When shopping, look for garments made from low-impact fabrics such as organic cotton, bamboo fabric, recycled polyester, and recycled nylon. Visit a local clothing boutique in your area and ask if they have fabrics like those in stock. The lacy set pictured above is from the Urban Fox.

4. Upcycled jewelry

Upcycled jewelry is hot right now! Check out any local gift, craft, or jewelry store and they are bound to have an array of recycled, repurposed items for sale. If you are located in the Atlanta area, Re-Inspiration is a personal favorite of mine. The earrings pictured above are made from recycled paper by Hippie Kingdom.

5. Make your own V-Day card

Skip the generic cards at the store and get creative. Use old newspaper, packaging, or magazine clippings to make something one-of-a-kind. You’ll get brownie points for going the extra mile. The example shown above is by Rockmelon.

Valentine's day is right around the corner, are you still looking for the perfect gift? Check out these 5 green gadgets that your guy is sure to love. Don't worry if you are on a budget, there is a gift for every price range!

1. Griffin Air Curve, $15.99

Yes, the Griffin AirCurve is made out of a plastic, but it earns its place on this green gift list because it functions as a speaker that uses no electricity. The AirCurve is an inexpensive, energy-free way to turn your iPhone into a mini-boom box. Available from Amazon for $15.99.

2. Wallet made from recycled bike tube, $25

This wallet may look like leather, but it is actually handmade in Seattle from used inner tubes. Available for only $25.00 from Uncommongoods.com.

3. Kork iPad 2 Case, $49.99

Nature meets technology with the Kork iPad 2 case. It is made from 100% natural leftover cork and has a wonderful natural texture. Available for $49.99 from Aprodukt.

4. WeWood Watch, $119

WeWood watches are the definition of sophisticated sustainability. You may remember them from our product review back in January. For every watch sold, WeWood plants a tree -- now, that’s a gift you can feel good about buying! WeWood timepieces are available in 7 different color variations for $119. Browse the different designs at WeWood’s Website.

5. Voltaic Off-Grid Backpack, $229

The Voltaic Off-Grid backpack is great gift for adventurous, outdoor-types. Besides charging hand-held electronics, it has 1,500 cubic inches of storage space, a laptop sleeve, phone pouch and more. Available on Amazon for $229.

MIT research scientist Andreas Mershin is on a mission to make solar power inexpensive and accessible to the masses, especially developing countries.

After years of research, Mershin and his team at MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, along with University of Tennessee biochemist Barry Bruce, have worked out a process that extracts photosynthetic molecules from common agricultural waste.

How would this DIY solar kit work? Ideally, Mershin wants people to be able to gather up a pile of grass clippings, mix it with a blend of inexpensive chemicals, and paint it on your roof to begin harvesting electricity.

Mershin explains, "Leaves and plants are nature's solar panels… if we manage to somehow hijack the molecules that are responsible for photosynthesis in plants and other photosynthetic organisms, and use them to generate electricity for our own needs, this would represent a fantastic and disruptive new step in the way that we generate solar power or electricity in general."

Check out the video below to learn more:

One of the team's biggest challenges was figuring out how to preserve the light-gathering molecules they extracted from plants so that they still functioned outside of a cellular environment. Eventually, they were able to stabilize the chlorophyll-rich extract, also known as Photosystem I.

Here’s a breakdown of how the technology works: Mershin and his team have fabricated teeny tiny forest-like structures made of zinc oxide nanowires scattered with titanium dioxide "sponge” components. Then, the structures are coated with the plant extract, Photosystem I. When the coated structure is placed in direct sunlight, the harvested electricity can be stored and put to work.

Currently, the efficiency of these experimental cells is very low at 0.1%. With research groups like Mershin’s, the efficiency of biophotovoltaics is expected to rise to commercially viable levels (at least 1-2%) soon.

For more details, the team's findings are detailed in the paper Self-assembled Photosystem-I Biophotovoltaics on Nanostructured TiO2 and ZnO which is available at Nature.com.

Sources: Gizmag & MIT

Header Image: Best Design Options

Project Noah harnesses the power of smart phones to collect ecological data and help preserve global biodiversity one photo at a time.

How does it work? You can download the Project Noah app for free on any iPhone or Android phone. Then, all you have to do is create an account and start snapping photos of local wildlife.

If you're a city dweller like me, I know what you're thinking -- "Who wants to see a bunch of photos of squirrels and caterpillars?"  I downloaded the app to give it a test run and was pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of animals documented. You could spend hours exploring the map and scrolling through photo submissions. Check out the map below – people from all over the world are using Project Noah!

Project Noah was developed in NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). The project began as an experiment to build a fun, location-based mobile app that encouraged people to reconnect with nature. The name “Noah” was cleverly inspired by Noah’s Ark. The over-arching goal is to create a powerful database that can be used as an educational tool for wildlife awareness and preservation.

The app has certainly garnered a lot of attention since its official launch back in February 2010. It earned a spot in the first Startl Mobile Design Boost and won a $50,000 prize from the “Breakthrough in Mobile Learning” competition by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Project Noah even boasts National Geographic as an investor.

The founding members of Project Noah are Yasser Ansari, Martin Ceperley, Peter Horvath, and Bruno Kruse. Collectively, their backgrounds cover a wide range of subjects including molecular biology, photography, software development, and software hacking.

The next time you go on a walk or hike in your neighborhood, use Project Noah to share the creatures you encounter!

Source: Project Noah