Bio-based, biodegradable medical products will only make a difference if people understand why they are needed and trust how they work. Reaching listeners outside the research community helps build that understanding, and with it the social acceptance these solutions need to move from the lab to the field.

With this in mind, Sofia Francescutto (ICONS) joined DiscoScienza, the Italian science podcast created and hosted by biologist and science communicator Andrea Bellati, for an episode titled Bioplastica d’emergenza (“Emergency bioplastic”).

The episode starts from a hard reality: in conflict zones and after natural disasters, single-use medical plastics are indispensable, yet almost impossible to dispose of safely. Sofia explained how ANIPH is developing bio-based wound dressings and packaging designed to biodegrade after use, so that they do not add an environmental problem to an already critical emergency.

The conversation also covered the properties of PHA, the family of bio-based polymers at the heart of the project, and the role of 3D printing in producing dressings close to where they are needed. Along the way, Sofia addressed some common myths about bioplastics: not every bioplastic is compostable, and “biodegradable” does not automatically mean “fast”.

Listen to the episode (in Italian) on Spotify.

A few days later, CETEC brought the project to Spanish listeners. Cristina Blaya and Jaime Ortiz Aragón were invited by Radio Murcia (Cadena SER) to join La Ventana for a short interview on artificial intelligence.

The interview gave the team the chance to introduce ANIPH and its digital tools, including the AI-based approaches that help predict how bioplastics behave and support the design of new materials.

Listen to the interview (in Spanish) on Cadena SER.

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Cover photo by Will Francis – AI & Marketing on Unsplash
Photos curtesy of ICONS and CETEC