Latex and Natural Rubber

The Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) has introduced three groundbreaking rubber varieties—RM 001, RM 002, and RM 003—to address persistent challenges in the country’s rubber industry.

With locally cultivated rubber trees experiencing low latex yields, these varieties have the potential to transform commercial rubber farming in Bangladesh.

The genesis of this breakthrough lies in BFRI’s long-term mission to revive the dormant rubber industry. Cloned from high-yielding rubber trees in Malaysia, the newly developed varieties thrive in two soil types—sand and loam—and require minimal fertilization.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a new technique for directly printing electronic circuits onto curved and corrugated surfaces. The work paves the way for a variety of new soft electronic technologies, and researchers have used the technique to create prototype “smart” contact lenses, pressure-sensitive latex gloves, and transparent electrodes.