In France, startup Core Biogenesis has raised $3.1 million in seed financing to scale production of growth factors for cultivated meat. Founded earlier this year in the Station F technology incubator in Paris, the company says it will target samples for testing in the first half of 2021. “These [growth factor] molecules represent 50% to […]
In New Zealand, human pest control products maker Goodnature is working to develop biodegradable rat traps that can be dropped by drone or helicopter. Slightly bigger than a Keurig coffee capsule, the traps will break down in the environment within a few months, whether it caught a rat or not. The current iteration of the […]
In Washington, DC, a consumer survey by the Plant Based Products Council shows the majority of U.S. consumers are receptive to plant based products and packaging, with 54% viewing them favorably and 59% expressing interest. According to the report, the potential market size for plant-based products is estimated to be over 136 million U.S. consumers. […]
In New York, researchers at Manhattan College and green chemistry startup Evolved by Nature have demonstrated that pure silk can act as a co-surfactant, making the renewable material a potential replacement for petrochemicals in soap formulations. The research demonstrated that a natural silk protein produced by Evolved by Nature—trade-named Activated Silk™ 10S—synergized with capryl glucoside […]
In New York, two designers and a Fashion Institute of Technology professor have essentially grown a sneaker in a lab. The shoes are made from a leather-like material composed of nanofibers of cellulose assembled by bacteria. Other sneaker features include a cork sole, natural dyes—including a black dye made from rusty nails and acacia tree […]
In Singapore, regulatory authorities have approved the sale of cell-based meat, becoming the first country to do so. After extensive testing and review, The Singapore Food Agency has approved the sale of Eat Just’s cultured chicken nuggets. The Agency studied chicken samples from 20 production runs and found Eat Just proved its product met Singapore’s […]
In Hong Kong, cultivated fish startup Avant Meats has raised $3.1 million for R&D and commercialization of its products, including Chinese delicacies fish maw and sea cucumber. The company held its first taste test for maw, a species that has been fished to near-extinction, in November of last year, and has also previewed a cultivated […]
In Paris, the European Space Agency has released the blueprint for at-home 3D printers to produce their own miniature Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover at home using bioplastic. The ExoMy rover stands at 16 inches—scaled down from 78-inch tall version that will actually roam Mars beginning in 2023. It will take about two weeks for space […]
In Germany, Gleistein Ropes has announced it will shift its ropes currently produced using DSM’s Dyneema-brand ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers to the biobased version of the UHMWPE material. “These fibers possess exactly the same trusted strength and reliability of their conventionally sourced counterparts, yet contribute substantially to climate protection due to their renewable, bio-based raw material,” […]
In Austin, Texas, organic grocer Whole Foods has launched a biodegradable electric toothbrush head made from cornstarch. Dubbed Plus Ultra, the replacement heads will be available for the popular Philips Sonicare and Oral B electric toothbrushes this month and Spring 2021, respectively. They will be sold at 3,000-plus Whole Foods locations and online at LivePlusUltra.com […]
