Employees and students at UiO can apply for up to NOK 30,000 from the Green Office's Green Grants for projects and events that can contribute to UiO’s climate and environmental goals. The first project out is "Protein Building" by master's student in Computational Science, Jonas B?tnes. We visited him in the laboratory to attend a sampling and examination in UiO's electron microscope.
"Concrete, steel and plastics account for 31% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while electricity accounts for 27%. In this project, we investigate whether these traditional materials can be replaced with biological materials. Specifically, we are looking at the stability and scale-up of proteins to see what material properties they have, and what materials they can replace," says Jonas.
Jonas is affiliated with Ignite, an engaging student accelerator that helps UiO students bring their ideas to life, regardless of their field of study. At Ignite, Jonas receives input and support from, among others, biology students Liza Alcantar and Espen Opseth, as well as other students who want to contribute to the project. Integrating biological materials requires Jonas to explore possible solutions with an interdisciplinary perspective. The project has also received support from the Growth House and Frifond.
It remains to be seen whether the green innovation project will result in a solution that can contribute to the green shift, but it will nevertheless result in a master's thesis! We wish Jonas the best of luck with the project!
Do you have an idea that can contribute to a more sustainable UiO? Apply for Green Funds!