Materials | Interview with Two of the Newsletter Authors—Ms. Olivia H. Margoto and Dr. Grant R. Bogyo

Ms. Olivia H. Margoto and Dr. Grant R. Bogyo are two of the authors of the newsletter paper “Towards a New Plastination Technique for Moisture Management of Western Red Cedar Without Loss of Strength and with Enhanced Stability” published in Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944).

Ms. Olivia Margoto is a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada, specializing in natural fiber-reinforced composites and sustainable materials. Her research explores multiple aspects of bio-based materials, including the plastination of cedar to enhance durability, mechanical performance, and long-term stability. Olivia has experience leading industry-focused projects on sustainable composites and natural fiber treatments. Currently, she is developing and characterizing natural and bio-based materials and applying data-driven AI techniques to improve the manufacturability of natural fiber-reinforced composites. Her work aims to expand the applications of sustainability in emerging, high-performance products.

Dr. Grant R. Bogyo, CEO of NetZero Enterprises Inc. (NZE), is an interdisciplinary inventor whose unconventional path, from studies in theology and psychology to frontline humanitarian work, shaped his human-centered approach to materials innovation. Partnering with NZE’s Ron Ryde, he drives advances in sustainable polymers, composite materials, and circular economy technologies. His patent-driven research bridges real-world needs with scientific precision in preserving natural materials using plastination (patent process CA3090874), positioning NZE at the forefront of materials science for environmental resilience and global impact.

Based on the positive evaluations by reviewers and academic editors of Ms. Olivia H. Margoto and Dr. Grant R. Bogyo’s group article, the article has been selected for inclusion in the journal's monthly newsletter.

“Towards a New Plastination Technique for Moisture Management of Western Red Cedar Without Loss of Strength and with Enhanced Stability”
by Olivia H. Margoto, Madisyn M. Szypula, Grant R. Bogyo, Victor Yang and Abbas S. Milani
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4353; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184353

The following is an interview with Ms. Olivia H. Margoto and Dr. Grant R. Bogyo:

1. Congratulations on the publication of your paper. Could you briefly introduce the main content of your paper?
In this paper, we investigated plastination as a novel technique for managing moisture in Western Red Cedar, a widely used construction wood that is inherently vulnerable to moisture absorption and biodegradation. Borrowing a technique originally developed for biological tissue preservation, the proposed approach combines acetone dehydration with vacuum-assisted impregnation using a silicone, followed by curing, to replace water within the wood microstructure with a hydrophobic polymer.
The study focused on evaluating both the effectiveness of SS-151 silicone impregnation and its impact on moisture resistance and mechanical performance. Micro X-ray Computed Tomography imaging was used to see how deeply the silicone penetrated the wood, while chemical analysis and water absorption tests examined changes in the wood’s composition and moisture resistance. Mechanical tests before and after moisture exposure assessed the wood’s strength and flexibility. Results showed successful silicone penetration, reduced water-attracting chemical groups, significantly lower moisture absorption, and preserved tensile strength with improved deformability.

2. What are the key takeaways you hope readers will gain from your paper?
The key takeaway is the strong potential of plastination as a new strategy to protect natural materials such as bamboo and wood without sacrificing their mechanical performance. In this study, plastinated Western Red Cedar exhibited 59% lower moisture absorption compared to conditioned virgin samples, while retaining tensile strength and exhibiting improved deformability. These results highlight how plastination can significantly mitigate moisture-driven degradation, enabling the use of natural materials like wood in more demanding outdoor and structural applications.
More broadly, this work shows that bio-based materials can be engineered for enhanced durability through innovative and cost-effective approaches. As such, plastination emerges as a promising technique for sustainable construction, particularly in environments where moisture-related degradation has historically limited the use of natural fibers and softwood.

3. Was there a specific experience or event in your research career that led you to focus on your current field of research?
The experience that led me to focus on natural fiber preservation occurred several years ago when I assisted a colleague in General Santos City, in the Philippines, with a drainage challenge. Conventional construction materials such as rebar were prohibitively expensive, while bamboo was abundant. When I asked why bamboo was not being used structurally, a local engineer explained that its susceptibility to mold, moisture, insects, and rot made it unsuitable.
This question stayed with me. Months later, while attending a conference in Las Vegas, I visited the Bodies Exhibition. Observing the plastinated anatomical specimens, I had a moment of clarity: the preservation principles used in plastination might offer a pathway to stabilizing natural fibers, including wood and bamboo, for engineering purposes. That insight ultimately led to the development of our patented plastination approach and the research now being published.

4. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations encountered in your current research?
Under the guidance of Dr. Abbas Milani at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and through the rigorous experimental work of doctoral candidate Ms. Olivia Margoto, our team identified a set of low-molecular-weight polymers that offered promising performance at significantly lower cost than traditional silicones used in classical plastination.
Key challenges included optimizing polymer selection, impregnation parameters, curing conditions, and processing time. Through systematic experimentation, the team achieved stable and repeatable results, decreasing the processing time by 38%. We are now evaluating next-generation polymers that may further enhance moisture resistance while maintaining or improving the mechanical strength of natural materials with microstructures even smaller than that of cedar wood.
Ms. Margoto’s contributions were essential—her experimental precision, data interpretation, and
ability to translate theoretical polymer behavior into practical laboratory outcomes were central
to the breakthroughs reported.

5. Does technological progress provide new opportunities for the topic you are researching? Does it bring any potential risks? How do you think these factors will affect future research trends on this topic?
Advances in artificial intelligence will increasingly support polymer discovery and theoretical modelling. AI can help identify promising polymer candidates by predicting molecular behavior, cost-performance relationships, and compatibility with botanical substrates.
However, botanical materials exhibit substantial natural variability—between species, between samples, and even within individual specimens. This limits the predictive power of computational models. Empirical testing, engineering judgment, and hands-on experimentation will remain indispensable components of the research process. Future progress will likely emerge from a hybrid approach that combines AI-assisted modelling with rigorous laboratory validation.

6. How do you evaluate research trends in this field, and what advice would you give to other young researchers?
Sustainability is a global priority, and materials science plays a pivotal role in advancing it. My advice to young researchers is to balance digital tools with real-world engagement. Spend time observing natural materials, understanding their behavior in practical contexts, and solving tangible problems - then bring those insights back to the laboratory.
Experiences in developing regions can be especially transformative, offering perspectives that enrich both scientific inquiry and personal purpose. A purpose-driven approach often leads to solutions that are not only innovative but also sustainable and socially meaningful.