In the United Kingdom and Sweden, the first rollout of paper bottles from the iconic vodka brand Absolut have hit liquor store shelves. The bottles are actually made from a mix of paper and recycled plastic and are the first step toward a fully biobased spirits bottle, says Pernod Ricard, the French owner of the […]
In Boston, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have grown plant tissue, including wood and fibers, in a lab, paving the way for a new method of growing food and materials with less land and inputs. “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table,” Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal scientist […]
In New York, start-up Aanika Biosciences is developing biological tags that can help authorities pinpoint the source of deadline E. coli outbreaks. The company’s technology tweaks the genome of inactivated microbe, essentially creating a unique identifier that is then added to each head of lettuce to enable tracking. The Centers for Disease Control often struggles […]
In Connecticut, researchers have invented a reusable and biodegradable face mask made from polylactic acid. Thinh Le, mechanical engineering PhD student at University of Connecticut, tells Daily Campus the masks are made of poly-L lactic acid, “an FDA-approved material [used] in medical applications, which is completely safe and biodegradable.” Most masks are made from polypropylene […]
In India, the National Institute of Ocean Technology has converted seaweed into biodegradable plastic film. Using red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivated from the Gulf of Mannar and plasticizer polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3000, the team was able to create films with high tensile strength. The films also have good oxygen and moisture permeability properties for use as […]
In California, synthetic biology company Amyris has acquired cannabinoids-based beauty brand Terasana for an undisclosed sum. John Melo, president and CEO of Amyris said in a press statement that the company is “very optimistic” about the future of clean cannabinoids and the efficacy they bring to the skincare market. The company recently commercialized cannabigerol, a […]
In Canada, researchers at McMaster University have produced cultivated meat they claim has flavor and texture more like conventional, animal-based products. The process creates sheets of living cells that can be stacked, similar to methods used to grow tissue for human transplants, say Ravi Selvaganapathy and Alireza Shahin-Shamsabadi. The way they are stacked can enable […]
In Spain, BioTech Foods has been awarded a €5.2 million (US $6.3 million) government grant to evaluate if cultured meat has any of the negative health effects of animal meat such as cholesterol and cancer risks. BioTech Foods, itself a cultured meat company, is developing its Ethicameat brand covering multiple species. Early prototypes include meatballs […]
In London, a computer company has launched a biodegradable computer featuring a casing made from vegetable waste. Dubbed Abacus, Pentaform’s computer is comprised of a portable keyboard that can be used with any display. After its useful life has ended, the user can recycle the technical elements and leave the biodegradable polymer casing to biodegrade […]
In Indianapolis, SYNLawn Indiana reports that its soy-based turf will be used by the Indianapolis Colts for 2021 pre-game matches as well as education programs. The United Soybean Alliance says the deal will help further awareness of soy-based products and their benefits. The education programs, which will commence once COVID-19 policies end, include “Touchdown Town,” […]
