Scientists from China and the Netherlands have created a corn protein-based biopolymer with a process inspired by spider silk that could offer a sustainable alternative to plastics based on fossil fuel.

“Plant-derived biopolymers may become sustainable alternatives to fossil-based polymers, yet their poor material performance has so far limited their adoption,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on May 11.

The scientists, inspired by how spiders spin their biopolymer high-strength silk, used a similar processing mechanism to transform the corn protein “zein” into a biopolymer.

The resulting “plantymer” fibres and sheets had a rigidity comparable to silk and displayed good moisture and oxygen barrier properties.

“We have shown that processing protein materials inspired by spider silk can be applied to amply available plant proteins such as zein from corn,” said the team.

The team behind the find is made up of researchers from mainland China’s Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangnan University, and the University of Hong Kong, as well as the University of Amsterdam and Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Fossil fuel-based plastic production has been affected globally by the ongoing Iran conflict and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially requiring a shift to alternative materials. However, disruptions in agricultural supply chains, particularly fertiliser shortages, cast doubt on whether plant-based biopolymers could be a sustainable alternative.

More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide every year, with about half of it designed to be used once, such as for food packaging, according to the United Nations.