Read this document. Explain why continued research and the use of new technology are important in the development and commercial
ization of potentially useful natural products. Justify your explanation by citing evidence from the reading passage. Use at least three examples.
Polymers are large molecules that are made of repeating units called monomers. There are two types of polymers, natural and synthetic. Natural polymers include rubber, wool, and silk, DNA, starch, and cellulose. Synthetic, or human-made, polymers include polystyrene foam, nylon, polyethylene, and vulcanized rubber. Different polymers have different properties that make them useful in many ways.
polymers. The institute aims to develop new material technologies and improve existing processes to maximize the performance of polymers. Its commitment to continued research and the use of new technology in the development and commercialization of polymer products has enabled the institute to provide solutions for many clients from different industries. The institute’s solutions include rapid prototyping. They use 3-D printers and laser guns to build or rework a prototype. This lessens the time for the production or reworking of the prototype and, therefore, shortens the engineering design process. They have used these tools to produce rocket parts for the Space Cowboys, a team at the institute that gives students an opportunity to help build rockets. The institute has also used these tools in collaboration with Zavation, a company that designs medical devices and tests the efficiency of their devices by asking doctors to test their prototypes. This is a lengthy process because it takes time to produce prototypes for testing. Using the 3-D printer allowed the company to quickly provide doctors with spinal implant prototypes. Zavation was able to evaluate the design of the implant and, as a result, proceed with its manufacture. The institute also tests materials that have polymer components. For example, a film company had only 28 days to do biodegradation tests on their new polymer film. Traditional testing would have taken longer than that, so the institute built a UV-exposure chamber that could test larger amounts of film. This helped the film company do their test quickly and efficiently. Giving their clients an operational edge is another way the Mississippi Polymer Institute assists manufacturing companies. They help improve companies’ performance, processes, and profitability. In the case of GE Aviation, for example, they trained future and present employees of the plant on advanced composite manufacturing technologies. This helped employees understand the materials they worked with and kept them safe while they assembled these materials. The Mississippi Polymer Institute was founded in 1993 to grow the high-tech polymer business in the state. It has played an important role in the industry’s growth and has helped create more than 14,000 jobs. Today, the institute continues to make important contributions to the economic development of the state, assisting businesses and entrepreneurs alike with specialized services and scientific expertise.
