In New Zealand, pandemic boredom has led to the creation of the country’s first biodegradable shoe. Orba’s Ghost sneaker, which is 94% plant-based, was conceived last year by Greg Howard during the country’s strict pandemic lockdown. The kicks feature a biobased rubber sole made from natural rubber, rice husk ash and coconut oil. The insoles […]
In France, materials expert Erik de Laurens is turning smelly fish waste into beautiful tiles that resemble marble. Dubbed Scalite, the material is a composite of the collagen polymers that naturally make up fish scales, combined with natural binders and dyes and squeezed together via hydraulic press. Scalite is currently available in 12×12-inch tiles suitable […]
In Hollywood, actor, activist, and model magnet Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in cultured meat startups Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms. Mosa Meat, based in the Netherlands, holds the title for world’s first cell cultured burger, which it achieved in 2013. It has since been working to lower its cost and remove divisive ingredient fetal bovine […]
In the Netherlands, Geneus Biotech and scientists at Wageningen University & Research are working together to develop cell-based caviar. The project, dubbed Magiccaviar, is hoping to find an alternative source for the pricey delicacy pushing the Beluga sturgeon to the brink of extinction. “A closely related sturgeon species is used to develop the methods in […]
In the UK, researchers at the University of Manchester have found that a protein in human blood and an acid in human urine can bind to Mars dust to create a material strong enough to build infrastructure. Dubbed AstroCrete, the macabre material was first conceived when Aled Roberts and his team were working to make […]
In New York, Ginkgo Bioworks began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, September 17 under the ticker DNA. Debuting at around $15 billion, the SPAC deal raised an estimated $1.6 billion for the Boston-based synthetic biology company. The company reported $88 million in sales in the first half of 2021, tracking […]
In the US, Archer Daniels Midland and LG Chem have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly evaluate building a lactic acid and polylactic acid bioplastics facility. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will work toward founding joint venture in early 2022 that would build, own and operate a US-based facility to […]
In Venice, visitors to the 17th International Architecture Exhibition have the opportunity to sample scents from flowers that were rendered extinct by human development. In an installation called Resurrecting the Sublime, artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, with the help of synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks and scent researcher Sissel Tolaas, showcase scents from three plants: Hibiscadelphus […]
In Nova Scotia, a startup developing fibers from collagen and spider silk has raised $700,000 in an oversubscribed follow-on funding round. 3D BioFibR produces naturally sourced, high-value biofibers for use in biomedical engineering, green textiles, defense, and aerospace applications. The company’s dry-spinning process is faster than current manufacturing processes and preserves the natural properties of […]
In Oslo, startup NoMy has closed a seed funding to help advance its mycelium technology for end markets such as plant-based meat alternatives and bioplastics. Founded in 2020 by tech entrepreneur Ingrid Dynna and microbiologist/organic restauranteur David Andrew Quis, NoMy’s process aims to create circular solutions in a B2B model. “In the face of products […]
