This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

and Air Force Research Lab, and nonprofit BioMADE to research and produce a suitable alternative rubber crop to be used as a "critical ingredient in military, aircraft and truck tires."

Continetal Bike Tires in Germany has already produced bike tires using this technology.

For High School Teachers there is an experiment involving this source of rubber. There are two simple methods to extract the rubber from the dried roots of the Russian dandelion. In the first method, students grind the roots ­into a powder to extract the rubber particles and create their own eraser. In the second method, sodium hydroxide is used to erode the woody parts of the root, and students can stretch out the fine strands of rubber that remain.

Turning dandelions into rubber: the road to a sustainable future – Science in School

Patch Mayors are trusted local users who help moderate the Patch platform by promoting good local stories and flagging unwanted content. To learn more, click here.