Natural engineering Javier G Fernández (left) and Akshayakumar Kompa are developing a sustainable biomaterial that uses surrounding water to achieve a better mechanical performance than that of common plastics. (Courtesy: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC))"> Natural engineering Javier G Fernández (left) and Akshayakumar Kompa are developing a sustainable biomaterial that uses surrounding water to achieve a better mechanical performance than that of common plastics. (Courtesy: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)) Synthetic materials such as plastics are designed to be durable and water resistant. But the processing required to achieve these properties results in a lack of biodegradability, leading to an accumulation of plastic pollution that affects both the environment and human health.…