Researchers say they have created a new synthetic rubber that could be used to make biodegradable tires. A team at Texas A&M University’s campus in the Gulf nation of Qatar is testing the synthetic rubber. One of the researchers, Robert Tuba, said the goal is to find a way to make fully recyclable tires. Rubber tires thrown into landfills decompose very slowly. They are a fire risk and can release chemicals into the soil. If they collect water, they can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The research team discovered a by-product of the oil refining process called cyclopentene. This was combined with a polymer to make a substance very similar to natural rubber. The new synthetic rubber is being tested to see if it can be mixed with metal and other materials now used in making tires.