A team of scientists at MIT and experts from other parts of the world developed a silk-based product that could replace industrial microplastics. The product is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, yet safe for consumption and biodegradable. In a paper published in the journal Small, the research was led by MIT postdoc Muchun Liu, Benedetto Marelli, a MIT professor of civil and environmental engineering and five other experts from BASF chemical company. Related: Naytra Couture’s sustainable silk clothing uplifts artisans Microplastics have become health, climate and ecosystem menace.