SOUTHWEST RETORT
SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR
April 2022
Published for the advancement of Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemistry in this area published by The Dallas-Fort Worth Section, with the cooperation of five other local sections of the American Chemical Society in the Southwest Region.
Vol. 74(8) April 2022 Editorial and Business Offices: Contact the Editor for subscription and advertisement information. Editor: Connie Hendrickson: retort@acsdfw.org Copy and Layout Editor: Lance Hughes: hugla64@gmail.com Business Manager: Martha Gilchrist: Martha.Gilchrist@tccd.edu The Southwest Retort is published monthly, September through May, by the Dallas-Ft. Worth Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc., for the ACS Sections of the Southwest Region.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Fifty Years Ago………………………….......5 ARTICLES and COLUMNS The Chair’s Corner…………………………6 Letter from the Editor…..…..……..............18 NEWS SHORTS In a Surprise Move, Honeybee Tongue Hairs Repel Water.…………………………….…..8
Most Face Masks don’t Expose Wearers to Harmful Levels of PFAS, Study Says…..10 Getting Bacteria and Yeast to Talk to Each Other, Thanks to a ‘Nanotranslator’ ..…...12
Bacterial Enzyme makes New Type of Biodegradable Polymer………………………. .14 Mucus could Explain why SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t Spread Easily from Surfaces……..15 ANNOUNCMENTS
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Huffman Laboratories……………..…........3 TMJ Data Entry and Editing.………......…3 ANA-LAB…………………………...….…..4
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Fifty Years Ago in the Southwest Retort The ACS tour speakers this month are Dr. James W. Cobble of Purdue speaking on “A Chemist in Hot Water;” Dr. R. A. Osteryoung of Colorado State speaking on one of two topics, “Computer-Controlled Electrochemical Experimentation” or “Chemistry and Electrochemistry in Fused Salts;” and Dr. John R. Von Waser of Vanderbilt, whose topic is “Pollution Abatement Through Population and Environmental Control.”
at Rice University, and Dr. Bill Glaze gave recent seminars at Texas Tech, UT El Paso, New Mexico State, and UTArlington. The Coordinating Board of the Texas University System on April 21 formally approved the Master of Science Program in Chemistry at UTD. UT-Dallas faculty members Dr. Lynn Melton and Dr. Dick Caldwell gave seminars, respectively, at East Texas State and TCU.
Dr. Carl S. Marvel of the UniCompiled by versity of Arizona will be the Dr. Allan Bard of UT-Austin principle speaker for the fall E. Thomas Strom recently visited the chemistry demeeting of the ACS Houston Polpartment at Stephen F. Austin ymer Group. His topic will be “Thermally College as a consultant on analytical chemStable Polymers.” istry under an NSR COSIP grant.
The Lab Crest Division of Fischer and Porter Co. has announced the availability of a quartz lined two stage water distillation still. Dr. Larry Bone of East Texas State gave an invited lecture on “The Importance of Hydrogen Bonding in Ion Clusters” at the “International Conference on Nucleation Theory and its Applications” held in April in Atlanta. ETSU student Bryan Bartlett has been given a 3 year NSF fellowship for graduate studies in chemistry. Faculty member Dr. Denis Quane gave a seminar at UT-Arlington.
At Baylor, Welch Professor Dr. Malcolm Doyle gave a seminar at Oklahoma State University on “Electrospray Mass Spectrometry of Macromolecules.” At the University of Arkansas, recent seminars were given by Dr. Kenneth Hedberg of Oregon State and Dr. Larry Bartell of the University of Michigan.
Tarleton State has had two guest speakers recently: Dr. S. H. Bauer, Welch Lecturer from Cornell and Dr. Bill Smith from TCU. At North Texas State University (now UNT), Dr. Paul Jones recently spoke April 2022
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The Chair’s Corner The year of 2021 was a slower year for the ACS DFW local section due to the COVID 19 pandemic. We still managed to have a few virtual talks and other activities for Chemists Celebrate Earth Week in 2021. Our winners for 2021 Doherty and Schultz, Awards are listed below. Congratulations to: • Mihaela C. Stefan, Winner of the Wilfred T. Doherty Award for 2021. • Heather Thompson, Winner of the Werner Schulz Award for 2021. We had no winner for Chemistry Ambassador in 2021, but we hope to have a winner in 2022. Dr. Kayla Green from Texas Christian University has been named a recipient of the 2022 Outreach Volunteers of the Year award for the Dallas-Fort Worth Local Section. An article was posted in C&EN (see below the link) https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/ACS-honors2022-Outreach-Volunteers/100/i9? utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social& utm_campaign=CEN We would like to congratulate the newly elected Executive Committee members. Dr. Rajani Srinivasan was elected as chair elect for ACS DFW local section 2022. She is endowed Munson research professor and associate professor of Chemistry in the department of Chemistry, Geosciences and Physics, College of Science and Technology at Tarleton State University, a part of Texas A&M University System, located at Stephenville TX. Her research group comprised of undergraduate and master’s student focusses on developing novel non- toxic, ecofriendly plant derived polymers and their ap-
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plication as delivery system for chemotherapeutic and diabetic drugs and as flocculants for removal of emerging contaminants including microplastics from various sources of water. As a chair elect and future chair, she wants to increase the green chemistry awareness in the DFW local section.
Violeta Vega Gomez was elected as Secretary for ACS DFW local section 2022. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from University of Puerto Rico in 2000, Mayaguez Campus, and her MBA in Human Resources Management from University of Phoenix, Puerto Rico Campus in 2006. She worked as a Science Teacher at CTS Cabo Rojo, PR from 2002-2003. After receiving her PR Chemist License, she worked at Eli Lilly from 2003-2006 for the Method Validation and Raw Material Teams. She worked as a Quality Specialist, Packaging Department at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, then she joined Cemex Puerto Rico as a Chemist in 2007. She was transferred to Cemex USA, Alabama
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place at the University of Texas at Dallas on April 23, 2022. We are excited to have an inperson meeting in 2022. The plenary speaker for the 2022 Meeting in Miniature is Professor Kirk Schanze, who is the Editor in Chief of the ACS Applied Materials family of journals. The executive committee is excited about 2022 and the local section's future. If you have any comments or suggestion, please email me at mihaela@utdallas.edu Best, Kirby B. Drake was elected as Councilor Mihaela C. Stefan for ACS DFW local section 2022. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kirby 2022 Chair Drake Law PLLC in Dallas, Texas. Since DFW Local Section of the ACS 2002, Ms. Drake has focused her efforts on helping clients successfully navigate their intellectual property (IP) challenges. She has a special focus on the patent process, as she is a registered patent attorney. Ms. 2022 DFW Section Officers Drake is active in the American Chemical Society, both on the local and national lev- Chair: Mihaela C. Stefan els. Most recently, she served as Chair of Chair-elect: Rajani Srinivasan the National Committee on Patents and Related Matters, and she currently serves on Past Chair: Trey Putnam the National Committee on Constitution and Treasurer: Martha Gilchrist Bylaws (C&B). Secretary: Violeta Vega Gomez Rebecca Weber was elected as Councilor Councilors: for ACS DFW local section 2022. She earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry at UNT Mary Anderson with Dr. Angela Wilson in 2015. She has Kirby Drake been a member of ACS since an undergraduLinda SchultzR ate in 2008. She is working at UNT as faculty since 2016, teaching General and Physical Rebecca Weber Chemistry. Rebecca has also been the co- Alternate Councilors: faculty advisor for the student ACS chapter from 2016-2019. She is involved in chemis- Michael Bigwood try education research and is passionate Daniela Hutanu about increasing the involvement of unDanny Tran derrepresented students in chemistry. Plant as a Quality Manager in 2019, overseeing the Quality and Shipping Departments and supervising 15 employees. Since 2020, she is working as the Chief Chemist for Ash Grove Cement Plant (a CRH Company) in Midlothian Texas, where she oversees the Quality Department, she is part of the Activities Committee and is the Chairperson for the Inclusion & Diversity USA Central Region Committee. She is also a licensed Life Insurance Agent in the state of Texas.
The 2022 Meeting in Miniature will take April 2022
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From the ACS Press Room
In a Surprise Move, Honeybee Tongue Hairs Repel Water “Enhanced Flexibility of the Segmented Honey Bee Tongue with Hydrophobic Tongue Hairs”
rotten fruit and damp soil. The insect’s success in exploiting these very different resources depends on the surface properties and deformability of its tongue, which conACS Applied Materials & Interfaces sists of a series of ring-like segments, each A honeybee pokes out its tongue — which is bristling with 16 to 20 hairs that capture densely covered in hairs — to lap up nectar food. Researchers had previously studied the and other liquids. Now, researchers report structure and motion of the hairs, but their in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that surface properties and relationship to overall those hairs are water repellent. That’s unex- flexibility hadn’t received the same scrutiny. pected, since most liquid-capturing organs in Jiangkun Wei, Zhigang Wu, Jianing Wu and nature are hydrophilic, or water loving. But colleagues set out to fill in the blanks. the hairs’ hydrophobic nature makes the The team used various forms of microscopy, tongue more flexible, which is useful when along with high-speed videography and comforaging from sources with differing shapes. putational modeling, in their investigation. The findings could help researchers design These techniques showed that the individual new materials. hairs are stiff and hydrophobic, unlike the ring segments, which are soft and hydrophilic. This difference prevents the hairs from sticking to and stiffening the tongue once it starts bending, so it can bend further to get into crevices and reach food. The stiffness of the hairs also enhances their durability, enabling the bee to use its tongue millions of times during its lifetime. The researchers say their findings could inspire the design of sophisticated new materials, such as flexible microstructured fiber systems to capture and transport viscous liquids. A honeybee can feast on flower nectar, sap, fruit juice or salt water. That means its tongue must be able to interact with a broad spectrum of surfaces, such as narrow flower openings, coarse tree bark, irregularly shaped
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The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Science and Technology Program.
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From the ACS Press Room Most Face Masks don’t Expose Wearers to Harmful Levels of PFAS, Study Says “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Facemasks: Potential Source of Human Exposure to PFAS with Implications for Disposal to Landfills”
The researchers used mass spectrometry to measure nonvolatile and volatile PFAS in nine types of face masks: one surgical, one N95, six reusable cloth and a heat-resistant Environmental Science & Technology Let- fabric mask advertised to firefighters. Surgical and N95 masks had the lowest levels, ters whereas the firefighting mask had the highest Face masks are important for slowing the amount. Next, the team estimated the dose of spread of COVID-19 and protecting against PFAS that could cause health problems from smoke. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances chronic exposure, based on prior animal stud(PFAS) are added to many products to repel ies. According to the calculations, regular fluids, but their presence in face masks hasn’t wear of the surgical, N95 and cloth masks been thoroughly studied. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters found that most face masks tested contain low or negligible levels of PFAS, except for one marketed to firefighters, which could pose health risks in certain situations. Manufacturers design face masks to not only prevent inhalation of particles and pathogens but also to repel fluids, so some companies could be adding PFAS coatings to their products. During the current pandemic, people have been wearing face masks for long periods, which could expose them to PFAS through inhalation, skin exposure or accidental ingestion. In addition, used masks end up in landfills, where the compounds might leach out into the environment. Ivan Titaley at Oregon State University and colleagues wanted to measure PFAS in different types of face masks and analyze the implications for human exposure and the environment.
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would not pose a risk. However, the higher PFAS levels in the firefighter mask exceeded the dose considered safe, but only when worn for a full day (10 hours) at a high activity level, such as exercising or working in ways that boost the wearer’s respiration. Next, the researchers analyzed the environmental impact of PFAS from surgical and N95 masks (which comprise over 99% of masks discarded in landfills). They estimated that even if everyone in the U.S. over age 5 threw away one mask per day (90 billion masks per year),
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Now accepting applications for fall 2022 Ph.D Program The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas is now accepting applications for the fall 2022 Ph.D. program. We have 24 tenuretrack research active faculty, 8 professors of instruction, and 120 graduate students. The Ph.D. program focuses on innovation and problem-solving in interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research areas such as organic and inorganic materials, nanotechnology, biochemistry, and polymer chemistry, preparing graduates with the following skills: •
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From the ACS Press Room
Getting Bacteria and Yeast to Talk to Each Other, Thanks to a ‘Nanotranslator’ particles to enable communication between two different types of cells has not been explored. Antoni Llopis-Lorente, Ramón Martínez-Máñez and colleagues wanted to create Nano Letters a nano-scale translating device so they could Cells communicate with one another in the send a chemical signal between members of language of chemistry, but those from differ- two different kingdoms of life — something ent kingdoms, such as bacteria and yeast, that rarely happens in the natural world. speak dialects virtually unintelligible to the The team built the nanotranslator from silica other. By learning how microbes “talk,” re- nanoparticles loaded with two molecules: one searchers hope to one day manipulate their that reacts with glucose, and another molecule behavior to protect against disease, for ex- called phleomycin. The signalling system they ample. Efforts like this are in their infancy, constructed had two steps, which they tested but in a new study in ACS’ Nano Letters, independently then put together. First, the reresearchers describe the first system that en- searchers initiated a signal by exposing E. ables two unrelated organisms to communi- coli to lactose. The bacteria converted the laccate. tose into glucose, which reacted with the nano “Nanoprogrammed Cross-Kingdom Communication Between Living Microorganisms”
In nature, many cells send and receive chemical signals. This strategy allows bacteria to regulate their behav- In the new system illustrated ior, fungi to mate above, a nanotranslator (circle with dots) made it and human cells possible for yeast (green) to to notify each respond to a signal sent by other of threats. bacteria (brown). This type of chemical communication has inspired researchers to devise their own means to join these conversations so they can give cells instructions. While some studies have examined micro- or nano-scale particles that communicate with one type of cell, the use of April 2022
-translator. Next, this device released phleomycin, another messenger compound. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae detected the phleomycin and responded by fluorescing, something they had been genetically engineered to do. The researchers envision many possible applications for similar nanotranslator-based communication systems. For example, these devices could be used to tell cells to turn off certain processes and to switch on others, or to alter the activity of human immune cells to treat disease, the researchers say. The authors acknowledge funding from the Spanish Government and the Generalitat Valenciana.
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DFW Section Student Nominees for the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam On Saturday, March 26, 2022, 56 students took part in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) local exam held at the University of Texas at Arlington in the new Science Engineering Innovation and Research (SEIR) building. From those students, the D/FW Section may nominate up to 11 students for the National Exam. Here they are: D/FW Section Nominees for the 2022 USNCO National Exam: Andrew Cai, Coppell HS, Coppell ISD—Teacher: Sorelle Kimball Mahesh Venkat, Frisco HS, Frisco ISD—Teacher: Susan Rose Rajas Ketkar, Wakeland HS, Frisco ISD—Teacher: Deshon Dotson Catalina Zuo, Rock Hill HS, Prosper ISD—Teacher: Andy Bradstreet Michelle Lu, Townview Science and Engineering Magnet, Dallas ISD—Teacher: Keivon Spencer Victoria Li, The Hockaday School—Teacher: Dr. Barbara Fishel Anthony Le, Plano East Senior HS, Plano ISD—Teacher: Karen Compton Michael Gao, St. Mark’s School of Texas—Teacher: Kenneth Owens Aman Yarlagadda, Newman Smith HS, Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch ISD—Teacher: Graham Coleman Rishi Koneru, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science—Teacher: Cynthia Hoffman Lauren Dumin, Lovejoy HS, Lovejoy ISD—Teacher: Jason Taylor
The USNCO National Exam will be administered April 23, 2022, at Hebron High School, Lewisville ISD, by Dr. Kathleen Holley, USNCO Coordinator for the D/FW Section, and Gale Hunt.
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From the ACS Press Room Bacterial Enzyme makes New Type of Biodegradable Polymer “A Synthetic Gene Library Yields a Previously Unknown Glycoside Phosphorylase that Degrades and Assembles Poly-β-1,3GlcNAc, Completing the Suite of β-Linked GlcNAc Polysaccharides” ACS Central Science
Strings of sugars called polysaccharides are the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Because of their versatile and environmentally friendly properties, these molecules could eventually replace some plastics. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have identified a previously unknown bacterial enzyme that can make a new type of polysaccharide, which is similar to the biopolymer chitin. The new molecule is biodegradable and could be useful for drug delivery, tissue engineering and other biomedical applications. Polysaccharides play many roles in organisms, and because they are biocompatible and biodegradable, these molecules are promising carrier materials for a broad range of therapeutics. The identity of individual sugar molecules in the chain, and the way they are linked together, make them function in different ways. Enzymes known as glycoside phosphorylases can cut certain polysaccharides apart or make new ones, depending on the reaction conditions. For example, one April 2022
such enzyme makes chitin, the major component of arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. Stephen Withers and colleagues wondered if there might be previously unknown, naturally occurring enzymes that could make new types of polysaccharides.
Using genomic data and activity-based screening, the researchers identified a glycoside phosphorylase enzyme from bacteria called Acholeplasma laidlawii, a common contaminant of laboratory cell cultures. The team expressed and purified the enzyme, discovering that it could synthesize a new type of polysaccharide, which they named acholetin. The new biopolymer is similar in composition to chitin and to a biofilmforming polysaccharide, but its sugar molecules are linked together in way that differs from these known biopolymers. The team determined the crystal structure of the glycoside phosphorylase, which they suspect could be involved in maintenance of A. laidlawii’s cellular membrane. As such, researchers might be able to target the enzyme to prevent cell culture contamination with the bacteria, in addition to using the enzyme to make the new biopolymer. Acholetin has wide-ranging potential as a new type of biocompatible, biodegradable material, the researchers say. The authors acknowledge funding and support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the U.S.
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From the ACS Press Room
Mucus could Explain why SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t Spread Easily from Surfaces searchers wondered if the coronavirus also recognizes sialic acid-containing glycans in mucins. If the spike protein is already bound ACS Central Science to glycans in mucus, perhaps it couldn’t bind Early in the pandemic, many people fastidi- to the ones on cells, they reasoned. ously disinfected surfaces because laboratory For safety reasons, the researchers chose to studies predicted that SARS-CoV-2 could be study a human coronavirus called OC43, easily transmitted in this way. Now, research- which evolved relatively recently from a cow ers reporting in ACS Central Science have coronavirus and causes mostly mild respirafound a possible explanation for why the pre- tory infections. The team deposited droplets dictions didn’t pan out: Sugar-decorated pro- of the virus in buffer or growth medium supteins in mucus could bind to the coronavirus plemented with 0.1–5% mucins, which correon surfaces, keeping it from infecting cells. The findings could also hint at why some people are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others. “Mucins Inhibit Coronavirus Infection in a Glycan-Dependent Manner”
Although experiments have shown that coronaviruses can persist on surfaces for days or weeks, it is now apparent that SARS-CoV-2 is much more likely to infect people through airborne droplets carrying the virus. The surface studies typically used viruses suspended in buffers or growth media, whereas in the real world, SARS-CoV-2 is coated in mucus when someone coughs or sneezes. With this in mind, Jessica Kramer and colleagues wondered if mucus components could explain the discrepancy between the lab predictions and reality. In addition to water, salts, lipids, DNA and other proteins, mucus contains proteins called mucins, which are heavily modified with sugar molecules known as glycans. To infect cells, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds glycan molecules with sialic acid at their ends on the cell surface. So, the reApril 2022
Specific glycans (red squares in the illustration) on mucins can bind to coronavirus spike proteins, which could prevent viruses in cough or sneeze droplets from spreading from surfaces.
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From the ACS Press Room sponds to the concentration range of mucins found in nasal mucus and saliva, onto a plastic surface and let the drops dry. Then, they rehydrated the viral residue and measured its ability to infect cells. In comparison to the buffer or growth medium alone, the solutions supplemented with mucins were dramatically less infectious. The team also tested steel, glass and surgical mask surfaces, finding similar results. The researchers showed that, as the droplets dried, mucins moved to the edge and concentrated there in a coffee-ring effect, bringing the virus with them. This brought mucins and virus particles close together, where they could more easily interact. Cutting off sialic acid glycans from mucins with an enzyme eliminated viral binding and destroyed the glycoproteins’ protective effect. Because SARS-CoV-2, like OC43, binds to sialic acid glycans on cell surfaces, mucins would also likely reduce its infectivity, the researchers suspect. The levels and types of sugar molecules on mucins can vary with diet and certain diseases, which could possibly explain the vulnerability of certain people to COVID-19, they say.
“Bacteria Enzyme” Continued from page 15 Department of Energy, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health. A bacterial enzyme (crystal structure shown here) makes a new type of biodegradable polymer, acholetin, which might someday find use in drug delivery, tissue engineering or other applications .
“Face Masks” Continued from page 10 masks would be only a minor source of PFAS in landfill leachates and domestic water.
According to the researchers, this study should encourage the public to continue wearing face masks, especially during a pandemic. It could also help people make informed decisions about what type of masks to wear and encourage manufacturers to consider the chemicals used in masks, they explain.
The authors acknowledge funding or support from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Environmental ProtecThe authors acknowledge funding from tion Agency, Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation. the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory.
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From the Editor Last month, 56 students took part in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) local exam held at UTA . The section’s 11 nominees and their teachers for the national exam are on page 13. Good job, guys!
And congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Doherty and Schulz awards: Mihaela C. Stefan, Doherty Award Heather Thompson, Schulz Award At first, I was most intrigued by the article on honeybee tongues. Although bees poke out their tongues to collect nectar and other water-based liquids; it seems that the hairs which cover the tongue are hydrophobic, not hydrophilic as previously suspected. So the liquids must be collected by capillary action between the hairs, right? Now I think I prefer the article on a previously unidentified bacterial enzyme that produces a newly described type of polysaccharide; this polymer, produced by Acholeplasma laidlawii, a common contaminant of laboratory cell cultures, has been named acholetin. Acholetin is similar in composition to chitin and to a biofilm-forming polysaccharide. Similar to chitin, it is a new type of biocompatible, biodegradable material. There is always something new to keep us all working and discovering...
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