For the first time, a research team has used neutrons to track the breakdown of PET plastic by bacterial enzymes at the nanometre scale. The study could lead to faster and more efficient recycling.

From 6 to 9 July 2026, 48 researchers and industry experts gathered at Schloss Fürstenried in Munich for the MLZ conference ‘Neutrons for Future Health’. The conference featured presentations on bio-inspired materials for medical and industrial applications, as well as cancer therapies and drug development.

Together with VARTA AG and BASF, international researchers including the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum have tracked what happens to lithium inside large, industry-relevant battery cells as they age. Their findings help to explain why silicon-containing batteries gradually lose capacity.