What do you do with green coconut shells after drinking the water? Among various possibilities, Cleitiane da Costa Nogueira, 32, saw the chance to use this material to generate fuel.

The chemical engineer is one of the scientists chosen to be part of the Folha Descobertas series, an initiative by Folha in partnership with the Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital.

"It’s a waste that, if not properly disposed of, can cause diseases by accumulating water, dengue mosquitoes," says Nogueira, who hails from Caicó (RN).

However, going from coconut to ethanol is difficult. To obtain it, it's not enough to squeeze the fruit like in the sugarcane process. The idea is to derive raw material from the cellulose.

"The green coconut shell is very tough. So, a pre-treatment is crucial for us to break down the structure of the plant wall and make the cellulose available," Cleitiane explains.