Archive for 2020

ARPA-E launches SMARTFARM program with $16.5M in investments for 6 projects aimed at low-carbon feedstocks

ARPA-E launches SMARTFARM program with $16.5M in investments for 6 projects aimed at low-carbon feedstocks

September 8, 2020 |

In Washington, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $16.5 million in funding for six projects as part of the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) program. These projects will develop technologies that bridge the data gap in the biofuel supply chain by quantifying feedstock-related GHG emissions […]

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Cannabinoids Without Cannabis: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BioMediCan’s Biosynthesis and Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids Without Cannabis: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BioMediCan’s Biosynthesis and Cannabinoids

September 8, 2020 |

On Monday, we reported on BioMediCan’s work in making cannabinoids without the cannabis plant, just like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat make meat without animals. Today, the visual slide guide that looks at biosynthesis and biosynthetic cannabinoids, what that really means, the use of “oily” yeast, how they differ from Ginkgo Bioworks, Manus and others, the cannabinoid opportunity, […]

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Under development Down Under: Lab-cultured yak and kangaroo meat

Under development Down Under: Lab-cultured yak and kangaroo meat

September 7, 2020 |

In Australia, a startup is developing cell-based meat replacements for rarely eaten animals, including kangaroo, lion, tortoise, and yak. Vow Foods, which says it takes about six weeks to grow cells into meat, has already launched dumplings made with cultured kangaroo meat. “There have been various historical reports of how delicious the meat of the Galapagos […]

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Study finds “mush-room” for fungi in vegan leather production

Study finds “mush-room” for fungi in vegan leather production

September 7, 2020 |

In Austria, material chemists at the University of Vienna have evaluated the viability of vegan leather made from fungi. In a review article published in Nature Sustainability, Alexander Bismarck and Mitchell Jones discuss the use of agricultural and forestry byproducts to grow fungal mycelium into leather-like materials through physical and chemical treatments. “As a result, […]

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Absolut biobased: Vodka brand rolls out paper bottle prototypes

Absolut biobased: Vodka brand rolls out paper bottle prototypes

September 7, 2020 |

In Sweden, popular vodka brand Absolut has rolled out 2,000 paper bottle prototypes ahead of a wider production run in November. The prototypes are made of 57% paper, with the balance made from 100% recycled plastic. The first bottles will be available in Sweden and the UK, with wider distribution in spring after consumer feedback. […]

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Algae-based fabric designer envisions consumers one day watering their clothes

Algae-based fabric designer envisions consumers one day watering their clothes

September 7, 2020 |

In Canada, a designer has partnered with researchers at the University of British Columbia to create an air-purifying, algae-based fabric. Dubbed Biogarmentry, the living Chlamydomonas reinhardtii undergoes photosynthesis, removing carbon from the atmosphere in the process. Designer Roya Aghighi tells CNN one of her main goals was to reduce the environmental impact of the textiles.  […]

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German company develops compostable material from brewery waste

German company develops compostable material from brewery waste

September 7, 2020 |

In Germany, Trebodur has developed a biodegradable packaging material from brewery waste. Specifically, creators Niko and Tillmann found that brewers’ spent grains—the residue left over from barley malt during the lautering step of beer-making—contain self-binding fiber, which they dubbed “mabeerial.” Mabeerial can replace paper and plastic packaging in single-use items such as plates and cutlery. […]

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Indians urged to ditch plastic and use leaves as plates

Indians urged to ditch plastic and use leaves as plates

September 7, 2020 |

In India, Finance Minister T Harish Rao urged citizens to switch from plastic plates to biodegradable alternatives made from Areca palm. Speaking at the inauguration of an Areca palm plate manufacturing facility in Siddipet, Rao told reporters the plates decompose within 64 hours and can be made from fallen leaves without harming the tree. The […]

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Plant-based cheesemaker raises $7.5 million

Plant-based cheesemaker raises $7.5 million

September 7, 2020 |

In California, plant-based food start-up Climax Foods has raised $7.5 million. The company’s initial focus will be on developing a fermentation-based process to make cheese, although the company aims to develop a platform that can be used to produce any animal based food, including meat and milk. “We want to essentially replace cows and other […]

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Swiss firm launches biobased coatings for paper food packaging

Swiss firm launches biobased coatings for paper food packaging

September 7, 2020 |

In Switzerland, industrial minerals company Omya has launched biobased barrier coatings for paper and board food packaging. The portfolio includes Extomine Barrier Coatings, which are water-borne barrier and based on calcium carbonate and acrylic co-polymers, and EarthInks Barrier Coatings, which are 100% natural, compostable and biodegradable and are tailored for fast food and vending materials. […]

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