Packaging continues to inspire innovative research in the materials sciences at universities around the world. Here are three intriguing recent examples:

Odor-eliminating film. Did you know that the durian, a spiky object that grows on trees in Southeast Asia, is the world’s smelliest fruit? Ironically, it’s highly nutritious, and it’s even said by some to be good to eat. But, its stink is so legendarily bad that some countries ban it from airlines and hotels.

The Royal Society of Chemistry reports that researchers at Stockholm University may have found a way to de-odorize durian with a packaging film designed to trap the substances responsible for the reek. The trick is combining zeolites—mineral-based materials that have mesh-like open structures—with nanocellulose in a film that can adsorb the gas molecules that give durian its nose-twisting reputation. (“Adsorb” means to gather or collect; “absorb” means to assimilate or break down.)