In London, Sheep Inc. claims it has designed the world’s first swim trunks made entirely of natural materials. “Simply put: swim shorts until now have always relied on synthetic elements, either in the main fabric, the lining or both,” Sheep Inc co-founder Michael Wessely tells design publication Dezeen. “Even many ‘sustainable’ options use recycled polyester […]
In Italy, an interdisciplinary group of architects, scientists, artists, and educators focused on regenerative design are exhibiting living, 3D-printed abstract structures imbued with cyanobacteria. The Canada-based group, called the Living Room Collective, dubbed the exhibit Picoplanktonics. The installation at Venice Architecture Biennale, currently underway in Venice, is meant to explore the biological “definition” of regeneration. […]
In Japan, Sumitomo Chemical has successfully developed technology to produce liquid crystal polymer from a monomer derived from biomass materials. LCP is a type of engineering plastic with high heat and fire resistance. It is used electric and electronic components in smartphones, automotive parts, and office automation equipment. Sumitomo’s process also completely separates biomass materials […]
In Sweden, a biotechnology company working to develop a biobased heat seal coating solution for packaging applications has received a €2.2 million (US$2.5 million) from the L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement program. The grant will support formulation and demonstration of Ecohelix’s Woodmer initiative, which aims to use a wood-based packaging alternative to fossil- and food-derived polymers […]
In Portugal and Italy, researchers from the University of Lisbon and the University of Modena have developed a dissolvable light-emitting diode from chitosan, a biopolymer found in crustacean shells. OLEDs are widely used in phototherapy to measure or stimulate cell responses. While some have already been developed for use inside the body, this most recent […]
In Portugal, a biotech company has raised €5 million (US $5.7 million) to develop and scale its precision-fermented human milk proteins. The funding for PFx Biotech is comprised of a €2.5 million seed round closely following an EU grant of €2.5 million. PFx Biotech uses precision fermentation to produce human milk proteins for advanced nutrition. […]
In Canada, researchers at the University of British Columbia have invented a drink stirrer with a bioplastic tip that can detect whether a drink has been spiked with date-rape drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and ketamine. In less than 30 seconds, the tip will change color in the presence of the otherwise tasteless and odorless […]
In Panama, food and beverage multinational Nestlé and advertising firm Ogilvy Colombia have introduced a biodegradable cheese wrapper made from whey, a cheesemaking byproduct. Dubbed “Self-Packing Cheese”, the translucent and lightweight material is already being used to replace plastic packaging for Panama’s ¡Qué rico! cheese brand, according to Hype Beast. Gastón Potasz, Chief Creative Officer […]
In Indiana, bioplastics producer AgroRenew has told WIBQ that its previously announced production plant in Vincennes could be delayed due to tariffs. The company said tariffs have increased the cost of specialized equipment from Europe by as much as 50%, increasing the project’s total expected cost considerably and pushing out its construction timeline. “Our operation […]
In Qatar, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy has determined that cultivated meat is halal for Muslims if the source cells come from animals permissible to eat and are cultured in media free from blood or other sources considered haram. Notably, the latter condition means Muslims can’t eat cultivated meat grown using fetal bovine serum, a […]
