In Japan, cell culture products company IntegriCulture has been awarded a ¥240 million ($2.2 million) government grant to build a commercial bioreactor facility. Founded by Yuki Hanyu in 2015, IntegriCulture’s first product was a cell-culture foie gras. The company says its next product will be a cultured serum for cosmetics—set to launch in spring—followed by […]
In Israel, 3-D printed steak startup Meat-Tech 3D Ltd. is planning to buy an unnamed cultured fat company for $17.5 million and plans to list soon on the Nasdaq. Meat-Tech 3D Ltd. uses in-vitro cells to produce cultured meat using 3D printing. The acquisition will help the company “[print] the complete steak in the laboratory […]
In Australia, researchers have found that Gen-Z is wary of lab-grown meat despite reporting concerns for personal health, the environment, and animal welfare. Usually defined as those born between 1995 and 2012, researchers at University of Sydney and Curtin University found that almost three-quarters of Gen-Z report not being “ready” for meat grown in the […]
In Brooklyn, New York, an up-and-coming sneaker brand is beta-testing sneakers made almost entirely from plants. Designed by Dave Costello and Micah Heftman, the Kengos Lace-up boasts 98% plant-based content thanks to an upper made from corn-based, breathable fabric Amaize; an upper body made from eucalyptus fabric that temperature regulates and absorbs sweat; a midsole […]
In Sri Lanka, two entrepreneurs are working to launch a biodegradable, antimicrobial alternative to the N95 mask widely used to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Dubbed Mel-Cotta, the masks are made from banana stalk fibers and coated with honey and propolis, a resin made by bees to seal hives. They were developed by David Churches […]
In California, GreenTek Packaging has launched what it says is the first-ever disposable cutlery made from hemp. The Hemptensils line of forks, spoons, and knives are 100% plant-based and compostable but have a shelf life of more than four years. They are currently available on GreenTek’s site as well as Amazon. The hemp is currently […]
In Poland, designer Sofia Jaśkiewicz has created a line of tableware and packaging made from sugar beet waste. The items are made by adding other natural materials to sugar beet pulp and leaves, accompanied with binding and pressing steps to form papers, chipboards and composites. “I’m interested in the exploration of new uses for unusual […]
In Singapore, researchers have developed a method to convert pineapple leaf fibers into aerogels with applications in food preservation and wastewater treatment. National University of Singapore Associate Professor Duong Hai-Minh says the aerogels are very versatile. “They are effective as oil absorbents and for heat and sound insulation,” he says. “We have also demonstrated their […]
In Australia, a startup is developing cell-based meat replacements for rarely eaten animals, including kangaroo, lion, tortoise, and yak. Vow Foods, which says it takes about six weeks to grow cells into meat, has already launched dumplings made with cultured kangaroo meat. “There have been various historical reports of how delicious the meat of the Galapagos […]
In Austria, material chemists at the University of Vienna have evaluated the viability of vegan leather made from fungi. In a review article published in Nature Sustainability, Alexander Bismarck and Mitchell Jones discuss the use of agricultural and forestry byproducts to grow fungal mycelium into leather-like materials through physical and chemical treatments. “As a result, […]
