1-8 IAT Human Waste to Plastic

Dr. Erik Coats, University of Idaho Associate Professor of Civil Engineering leads a research group who's focus is on resource recovery. He has developed technology that leverages microbial processes that bacteria can perform to capture, recover and convert cow manure into a biodegradable plastic that is quite similar to polyethylene or polypropylene. I had a long conversation with Dr. Coats which led me to what I thought was a pretty obvious extension. "My mind then goes to thinking about human waste. In the foreseeable future would it be possible to treat human waste in much the same way as you are talking about cow manure? Yes there is. In fact the research we are advancing started on that front and I actually have a proposal that I am advancing right now that would return to those roots if you will. The primary challenge that I have faced Is lack of research funding. I have a team of incredibly smart graduate students who are highly capable of helping me advance some technologies but ultimately, you have to have funding to support said student. There is a lack of investment in research. This is frightening to me. These days you have to write 20 proposals to get one funded when it should be five proposals for one.