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This project aims to explore the oil adsorbing properties of the most widely used plastic bag materials (HDPE, LDPE, PP) to design an oil sorbent that can collect a large amount of oil relative to its mass. This solves two problems in one go – removing waste (oil contamination) using waste (plastic bags).

“It is my great pleasure to be presiding over the opening of the International Students Science Fair 2025 today. On behalf of the Thai people, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all participants from around the world. This year marks a momentous milestone; the 20th anniversary of this distinguished event, and my […]

The demand for lithium has more than doubled over the past eight years, primarily due to the growth of lithium-ion batteries, which now represent a market valued at $40 billion. Lithium is extracted from minerals and brines; however, the extraction processes are complex and energy-intensive. From 2018 to 2019, lithium consumption surged by 18%, raising concerns about the potential depletion of existing lithium reserves. Consequently, technologies to recycle lithium from used lithium-ion batteries are currently being developed.

Coastal dams are crucial in preventing wave overtopping and mitigating coastal flooding. The three commonly used coastal dam structures are vertical seawalls, curved seawalls, and riprap dams. Along with these, we designed three more dam models (triangular, zigzag, and inverted triangle) for this investigation, possessing characteristics similar to the aforementioned commonly used dams. Through this research, we used such physical models to understand how different dam designs affect seawater overtopping by either creating in-phase waves or redirecting wave impact and diffusing wave energy to create antiphase waves.

In this study, we engineered a biosensor that expressed lacZ gene, encoding β-galactosidase, which is an enzyme used as a reporter. The detection of blue β-galactosidase activity after incubation with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (X-gal) solution acts as a visible readout for the development of biosensors for rapid, sensitive and quantitative detection of microplastic.

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, pose significant environmental and health risks. Originating from the breakdown of larger plastics or industrial production, these particles contaminate ecosystems, affecting plants, animals, and humans. This study examines their impact on three biological models: aquatic organisms (Daphnia spp.), plants (Lolium perenne L. and Hordeum vulgare L.), and human intestinal cells (Caco-2 cells).

Global warming and the risks of nuclear power generation highlight the need for eco-friendly renewable energy. Wave power generation, if widely adopted, could significantly benefit Japan, an island nation surrounded by the sea. This study examines a pendulum-type wave power generation device known for its efficiency and environmental friendliness.