Big Idea, Small Package, Even Bigger Potential Return   Researchers at the University of Illinois are using checkoff  dollars to increase the value of corn one molecule at a time.  Find out how  zein, a byproduct resulting from converting corn-to-ethanol, may play a role in  the new frontier of nanotechnology.    More

University of Illinois nanotechnologist Graciela Wild Padua examines a slide that will hold a corn zein scaffold.

Multiple-use Corn Zein-Based Biodegradable Resins, Sheets & Films are an Attractive Alternative to Plastic This technology is a process for preparing biodegradable resins comprised of corn zein and fatty acids and forming the resins into sheets, thin films, and similar products useful in a broad range of food packaging and agricultural applications. Corn zein-based Biodegradable Resins present an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic.   More