T. Wright
University of California, Los Angeles,
United States
Keywords: engineering, biodegradablity, sustainability, agriculture
Summary:
Global pressures on water and soil resources demand scalable materials solutions that enhance agricultural productivity while reducing environmental impact. This work introduces a class of biobased hydrogels derived from gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and chitosan (CS) designed as multifunctional soil conditioners to improve water retention, nutrient management, and crop resilience. Using semi-interpenetrating network architectures, polymer composition, chitosan molecular weight, and degree of methacrylation are systematically tuned to control crosslink density, swelling behavior, and degradation kinetics. Rheological and microscopic analyses reveal how network structure governs mechanical integrity and water uptake under cyclic wet–dry and saline conditions relevant to field use. To extend performance beyond passive moisture control, chitinase enzymes are covalently immobilized within the hydrogel network, imparting sustained antifungal activity through localized enzymatic release. The synthesis utilizes renewable, food-grade feedstocks and a mild photopolymerization process compatible with scalable, continuous manufacturing. The resulting hydrogels demonstrate a tunable balance of hydration, mechanical resilience, and biodegradability, establishing a versatile platform for next-generation agricultural additives, seed coatings, and soil conditioners that couple material sustainability with functional performance.