In the UK, health officials are warning people not to take part in the latest viral TikTok trend: eating potato starch-based packing peanuts used by popular soap retailer, Lush. While Lush’s alternative to Styrofoam packing peanuts does dissolve in water, experts warn they are not edible and can contain carcinogens. “Many vegetable oils are high […]
In Prince Edward Island, Natural Products Canada has invested $1.7 million in several Canadian bioeconomy companies that represent “highly innovative biobased and natural products.” ALT-PRO Advantage will receive $75,000 to create pet food with alternative proteins from microalgae. Bio Sun Solutions will receive $283,629 to advance a herbal biofungicide for crops such as tomatoes, while […]
In Japan, Green Science Alliance has developed a biobased and biodegradable plasticizer from waste cooking oil and plant-based ingredients. The breakthrough addresses environmental concerns such as climate change and plastic pollution and potential impacts to human health from consuming nanoplastics. Unlike traditional petroleum-based plasticizers, which are non-biodegradable and contribute to CO2 emissions, Green Science Alliance’s […]
In the Netherlands, Photanol BV, a biotech company with CO2-to-chemical conversion, has filed for bankruptcy, citing difficulty raising funds. A key industrial partner exited joint venture talks with Photanol in December 2024 and the company has been unable to secure bridge funding. According to Silicon Canals, Photanol is shutting down at a critical moment, having recently […]
In California, Pow.Bio has opened a 25,000 sq ft facility biomanufacturing facility in Alameda. The facility features a Continuous Fermentation System, and Pow.Bio’s proprietary dual-chamber approach enabled by artificial intelligence. This system is designed to achieve target production costs for competitive biomanufacturing, and increased scale-up capacity allows for seamless transition from gram-scale experimentation to the […]
In Minnesota, BioMADE, a public-private partnership focused on advancing bioindustrial manufacturing in the United States, has reached over 300 members. Spanning 38 states and covering bioindustrial manufacturing industry leaders and academic institutions, the BioMADE member network is working to strengthen American competitiveness, secure the U.S. supply chain, reshore manufacturing jobs, and support rural development. “We […]
In California, cultivated meat startup Mission Barns is planning a retail launch and first restaurant partnership following regulatory clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its cell-cultivated pork fat. Fiorella, a leading Italian restaurant group in the San Francisco Area, will be Mission Barns’ first restaurant launch partner. The company also plans to […]
In France, Clariant subsidiary Lucas Meyer Cosmetics has launched Melicica, an ingredient for skincare that uses Jelly Bush honey to help repair damaged skin. Also known as Australian Manuka honey, Jelly Bush Honey has been shown to actively modulate the expression of genes with key roles in the skin repair process, regulating inflammation, oxidative stress, […]
In Finland, salad and herb producer Viherkaste is using a new adhesive for its cardboard packaging that is made from up to 70% biobased raw materials. Developed by Finnish chemical company Kiilto, the adhesive is reported to the world’s first biodegradable and compostable hot melt adhesive. Viherkaste hopes its use of Kiilto Biomelt will expand […]
In San Diego, a biomanufacturing startup is working on a replacement for one of the beauty and food industries’ grosser secrets: the use of ground up cochineal beetle for red pigment. By using enzymes and microbial production, Debut has achieved beetle-free production of the carmine pigment at pilot scale. The proprietary process is 100-times more […]
