In New York, biobased leather startup Uncaged Innovations is working with Hyundai to use its biobased leather in automotive upholstery. Uncaged Innovations boasts a plant-based leather alternative that looks, feels and even smells like animal leather. Feedstocks include wheat, soy, and corn proteins that mimic the texture of animal hide proteins. The resulting material has […]
In the UK, cancer survivor and entrepreneur Jacqueline Shaw has created hair extensions out of biodegradable banana fiber. Sold by Shaw’s startup, The Canerow Company, the extensions are marketed for Black women and offer a safer and greener alternative to synthetic hair. A recent Consumer Reports investigation found that the 10 most popular synthetic braiding […]
In San Francisco, engineering lab Otherlab has created a mycelium airplane capable of delivering up to 2 lbs of aid, such as blood and vaccines, to remote regions before biodegrading. Resembling stealth fighters, the planes are a component of Otherlab’s APSARA (Aerial Platform Supporting Autonomous Resupply Actions) system, which leverages computational design to develop affordable […]
In the United Kingdom, cell culture company CellulaREvolution has wound down operations and is seeking buyers for its assets, having run out of funding. Spun out from Newcastle University in 2018, the company provided bottleneck-busting enzyme technologies for cultivated meat, regenerative medicine and vaccine sectors. “We couldn’t deliver commercial milestones fast enough to secure Series […]
In Texas, LyondellBasell has jointly developed a new biobased film packaging solution in collaboration with Futamura Chemical, a leader in sustainable packaging manufacturing; Iwatani Corporation, a major Japanese trading company; and Shiseido, a leader in the beauty industry. The new material partially incorporates LyondellBasell biobased polypropylene polymer, CirculenRenew, in the outer packaging film of select […]
In the North Sea, protest art made by Anish Kapoor, using renewable materials such as used coffee grounds and beetroot powder, has been installed by Greenpeace on a Shell gas-extraction platform. Dubbed Butchered, the 12×8-meter canvass features 1,000 liters of blood-red liquid flowing onto the canvas, according to Indian Express. Kapoor wants the work to […]
In the US, a startup called Tiny Vinyl has created cute, mini, vinyl records out of bio-attributed polyvinyl chloride. The 4-inch mini singles play about four minutes of music per side and work on most manual turntables. Bioattributed refers to a sustainable production method where a portion of the raw materials used in manufacturing is […]
In Japan, designers have created a biomaterial kit for growing toy blocks out mycelium. Dubbed MYMORI, the kit includes block molds and a mycelium mixture. Kids first crush the kit’s material, mix it with flour, pour the mixture into a mold, leave the mold in the dark for a few days, and then leave the […]
In West Australia, Bioplastics Innovation Hub and Cass Materials, a Perth biotechnology company, have partnered to develop wheat straw-based foam to ship seafood. According to Food Processing, WA’s seafood industry is worth about $1 billion, with expanded polystyrene boxes that take centuries to decompose used for much of the distribution. However, many regions are beginning […]
In Germany, Corbion and BRAIN Biotech AG have partnered to develop novel biobased, antimicrobial compounds and derivatives. The collaboration will accelerate Corbion’s efforts to deliver enabling preservation capabilities to food manufacturers that also resonate with consumers looking for food products based on natural ingredients. BRAIN Biotech will contribute expertise in specialty enzyme technology, microbial strain […]
