Current recipes for synthesizing bioplastics often produce flimsy materials. But researchers have now found a way to “season” biodegradable plastics to make them stronger. It just takes a “pinch” of cream of tartar (tartaric acid) or citric acid.

A tool has been created to predict the effects of different diets on both cancerous cells and healthy cells, disentangling the subtle metabolic changes associated with different types of nutrients and the link between diet and disease.