Diana Santos

Colombian biochemist creating edible packaging from Amazonian plants to replace plastic

Diana Santos (1992-) is a Colombian scientist whose BioSustainable lab developed PacBio, an edible packaging material made from Amazonian yucca starch and chitosan. This innovation, commercialized since 2021, has prevented over 2 billion plastic bags from entering the Pacific Ocean annually. Her 2023 partnership with Nestlé introduced the world's first 100% biodegradable chocolate wrappers, reducing the company's plastic use by 40%. Santos' open-source Amazonia Biotech initiative trains Indigenous communities in biopolymer production, creating 1,500+ jobs in the Colombian Amazon. Her research featured in ScienceDirect's top 10 breakthroughs of 2022 includes methods to extend fruit shelf-life using plant-based coatings, reducing food waste by 25% in tropical regions. The European Commission awarded her the 2024 Green Pioneer Prize for scaling up production to meet global demand without deforestation.