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Tong Wang and her research team have been researching vegetable oil-based wax materials that have similar functional properties as petroleum paraffin and beeswax. By applying molecular structure modification using relatively simple reactions, Wang's team has produced a range of products with greatly improved plasticity and cohesiveness compared to the unmodified hydrogenated vegetable oils. These novel biorenewable and biodegradable waxes can be used for coatings and a variety of other applications where traditionally paraffin and beeswax are used. Wang's other research areas are making structured lipids for improved nutrition and biofuel and biolubricant properties, lipid extraction, purification and structural and oxidative characterization, and applied protein chemistry.