In Berlin, Pacifico Biolabs has emerged from stealth mode with a $3.3 million pre-seed funding. The company will use the cash to advance its precision fermentation process for producing seafood alternatives. Zac Austin, co-founder and CEO, tells Tech Crunch Pacifico’s process uses a number of microorganisms, including mycelium to provide nutrition, flavor and texture, as […]
In Australia, the costume jewelry designer behind Marvel’s Black Panther franchise—including Queen Ramonda’s visually stunning headgear—has designed handbags using algorithms, 3D printing, and bioplastic. The KELP MINI bags from Julia Koerner are rigid and lightweight. They are not, however, roomy, notes design publication Yanko Design. Small items will also fall out given gaps created by […]
In South Korea, scientists have combined cultivated bovine muscle and fat cells to cooked rice, creating an umami flavor profile and adding protein to a dish that makes up the majority of diets in some regions. Researchers at Yonsei University say adding flavor and nutrition to staples like rice is also easier than creating cultivated […]
In California, lactoferrin produced by cell-based dairy company TurtleTree has received vegan certification from Vegan Action. TurtleTree is the first precision fermentation dairy company globally to obtain such a designation. “While most precision fermentation products don’t involve animal products or byproducts, their bioidentical nature and the origins of the genetic codes required in production can […]
In California, seaweed-based bioplastic startup Sway has revealed a “breakthrough technology” that will enable seaweed to replace flexible plastics at scale. The new, patent-pending thermoplastic seaweed resin, dubbed TPSea™, is 100% biobased, home-compostable, and microplastic-free. It can also “mesh seamlessly” with the most scaled plastic manufacturing systems available, enabling “growth and massive impact.” TPSea is […]
In the Netherlands, dairy proteins startup Vivici has achieved self-affirmed GRAS status in the United States for its fermentation-based whey protein, beta-lactoglobulin. Vivici’s beta-lactoglobulin contains all essential amino acids required by the human body, is abundant in leucine and branched chain amino acids, and is rapidly absorbed in the blood plasma. It is also free […]
In Boston, a new report is exploring the future production of sustainable materials, such as handbags of mushroom leather and biodegradable foodware. The report from IDTechEx—a market research and business intelligence company focusing on emerging technologies—notes that, with the right input feedstock, such as biomass or gases, and the right fermentation processes, the outputs of […]
In Paris, beauty giant L’Oréal has introduced animal-free collagen to its Age Perfect Collagen Royal Anti-Aging Face Cream sold in China. Produced via biotechnology, the collagen features an amino acid sequence identical to collagen found in human skin and vital to elasticity and tissue health. In addition to personal care, collagen is used in medical […]
In New York, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are developing bacteria that consumer plastic waste and excrete a biodegradable material similar to silk. The team started by isolating a bacterial that naturally consumes polyethylene, a common plastic used in single-use applications. They then genetically edited the bacteria to produce an amino acid sequence similar to […]
In Copenhagen, fashion brand Ganni has designed handbags using faux fur made from nettle, hemp and flax. San Francisco startup BioFluff produces the shaggy material. “We source the fibers in Europe and create the fur in Italy using our patented process,” BioFluff co-founder and CEO Martin Stübler told Dezeen. “We use a combination of existing […]
