Category: Chemicals & Materials

Allozymes raises $15 million to scale enzyme solutions

Allozymes raises $15 million to scale enzyme solutions

May 20, 2024 |

In Singapore, enzyme engineering firm Allozymes has secured $15 million in Series A funding. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its expansion into Europe, establish strategic partnerships across the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and life science industries, and build in-house capabilities for strain engineering, bioprocessing, and downstream processing. This will enable Allozymes to […]

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Harvard spinoff Circe Bioscience unveils gas fermentation platform

Harvard spinoff Circe Bioscience unveils gas fermentation platform

May 20, 2024 |

In Boston, Circe Bioscience has licensed a gas fermentation technology from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute that can produce molecules identical to sugars, fats, biodegradable plastics, and biofuels, using only CO2, water, and electricity. Circe’s initial target products are triglycerides. The company has already produced the world’s first gas fermentation-derived chocolate and is exploring other fats, […]

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Bioplastic ballistics: Beyond Plastic and Eco Shot develop sustainable shotgun wads

Bioplastic ballistics: Beyond Plastic and Eco Shot develop sustainable shotgun wads

May 13, 2024 |

In Colorado, Beyond Plastic and Eco Shot have developed a biobased material to replace petroleum-based polyethylene and polypropylene in shotgun wads. Wads are a critical component of shotgun shells and are discharged before separating from the rest of shell. They are often not retrievable, meaning hunters contribute to plastics waste in water and hunting preserves. […]

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Apple taps Sweden’s RISE for cellulose foam

Apple taps Sweden’s RISE for cellulose foam

May 13, 2024 |

In Sweden, Apple has partnered with RISE research institute to develop a biobased foam with applications in packaging, insulation, and lightweight composites. According to RISE, the cellulose foam material has exhibited favorable properties, such as resistance to compression and a uniform and small pore size, which provides “an aesthetically pleasing structure.” The material is also […]

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Apple leather pioneer expands capacity in Germany

Apple leather pioneer expands capacity in Germany

May 13, 2024 |

In Germany, Beyond Leather Materials has significantly expanded its capacity to  produce Leap, a vegan leather made from European apple waste. Named for LEftover APples, Leap uses waste from apple juice and cider producers. Every square meter of Leap diverts 1.8 kg of apple waste from landfills and lowers waste management costs for the Beyond […]

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Dairen Chemical joins biobased spandex pact

Dairen Chemical joins biobased spandex pact

May 13, 2024 |

In Taiwan, Dairen Chemical Corporation has joined The LYCRA Company and Qore in developing biobased LYCRA Fiber,  commonly known as spandex. The three companies have signed a letter or intent to convert QIRA, a biobased 1,4-butanediol produced by Qore, into polytetramethylene ether glycol, a precursor to LYCRA fiber. The deal will make Dairen the first […]

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SK Group breaks ground on biobased PBAT, PBS, and THF plant in Vietnam

SK Group breaks ground on biobased PBAT, PBS, and THF plant in Vietnam

May 13, 2024 |

In Vietnam, SK Group’s chemical division has broken ground on a VND11.8-trillion ($90.3-million) facility to produce biobased polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, and tetrahydrofuran. The new plant at Hai Phong City will produce 70,000 metric tons of PBAT, 59,500 metric tons of PBS, and 6,300 metric tons of THF. PBAT and PBS are bioplastics, while […]

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New espresso shot with cell-based dairy protein set to boost performance for endurance athletes

New espresso shot with cell-based dairy protein set to boost performance for endurance athletes

May 13, 2024 |

In Singapore, cell-based dairy company TurtleTree has secured its first commercial partnership with Cadence Performance Coffee, a company “dedicated to enhancing overall human performance.” Under the terms of the agreement, Cadence will bring to market a “revolutionary” espresso shot that includes TurtleTree’s lactoferrin (LF+), the world’s first animal-free lactoferrin. Lactoferrin, a protein commonly found in mammalian milk,  […]

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BCC forecasts strong growth for biobased leathers

BCC forecasts strong growth for biobased leathers

May 13, 2024 |

In Massachusetts, BCC Research has released a report forecasting a “remarkable growth surge” for biobased leather. The study looked at both fully and partly biobased leathers. It also covers innovative raw materials, including cactus, pineapple, cork, and others like mushrooms and grapes, as well as applications, such as shoes, bags, and jackets. The market research […]

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MyriaMeat emerges from stealth with scaffold-free cultivated pork

MyriaMeat emerges from stealth with scaffold-free cultivated pork

May 13, 2024 |

In Germany, food tech startup MyriaMeat has emerged from stealth mode to unveil its first cultivated meat offering: pork fillet made without scaffolds or plant proteins. Founded in 2022 by researchers from the University of Göttingen, MyriaMeat’s technology uses pluripotent stem cells and parthenogenetic stem cells to grow functional muscle structures and whole cuts of […]

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