Category: Chemicals & Materials

TurtleTree Labs launches growth factor firm

TurtleTree Labs launches growth factor firm

January 18, 2021 |

In Singapore, cell-based milk company TurtleTree Labs has launched a subsidiary to develop food-grade growth factors for the cultured food industry.  “We’ve recognized this need for a while now, our scientists have been working on developing food grade versions of these growth factors with higher performance, higher purity and lower cost. All our hard work […]

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To the Bat-Bridge! Dutch bike path features biobased construction, bat-friendly design

To the Bat-Bridge! Dutch bike path features biobased construction, bat-friendly design

January 11, 2021 |

In the Netherlands, a new, ecofriendly bike and pedestrian bridge is under construction using renewable material and has the unlikely design feature of being friendly to bats.  Dubbed Blauwe Loper—which translates to Blue Carpet—the $6.5-million bridge is 800 meters long and connects the Dutch town of Winschoten with Blauwestad park and recreational area. It is […]

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Pineapple waste takes flight as drone component

Pineapple waste takes flight as drone component

January 11, 2021 |

In Malaysia, researchers have designed a drone using fibers extracted from pineapple leaves. The project, led by Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan at University Putra Malaysia, began in 2017 when a community project asked the school to find an outlet for the region’s abundant waste pineapple leaves.  The drone components made out of pineapple leaves […]

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From Fido to feet: Designer creates sneaker using dog hair

From Fido to feet: Designer creates sneaker using dog hair

January 11, 2021 |

In Germany, sustainability-focused designer Emilie Burfeind has used renewable and waste materials—including dog hair—to create an eccentric sneaker that she hopes will appeal to sneakerheads concerned with the wasteful practices of sneaker culture and fast fashion.  Dubbed Sneature, the shoe membrane is made using 3D knitting of dog hair, creating “flexibility, stiffness, and air circulation […]

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Amyris links with Queer Eye alum for haircare brand

Amyris links with Queer Eye alum for haircare brand

January 11, 2021 |

In California, synthetic biology firm Amyris is launching a haircare brand with beauty influencer Jonathan Van Ness.  The partnership aims to “de-gender and revolutionize the haircare industry” by creating a line of hair health products employing Amyris’s hemi-squalane, a biobased and hydrating silicone alternative.  “I am more like the anti-transformation beauty expert: I want to […]

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Swedish outdoor brand introduces plant-based backpack

Swedish outdoor brand introduces plant-based backpack

January 11, 2021 |

In Sweden, popular outdoor brand Fjallraven has introduced a backpack made almost entirely out of renewable materials.  Dubbed Tree-Kanken, the backpack is part of the company’s popular Kanken line of tote/commuter bags that Fjallraven calls the “ambassador” of its brand. Like the conventional Kanken, Tree-Kanken has 16-liter capacity and includes a large U-pocket. However, Tree-Kanken […]

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Biodegradable flossers promote gum health and protect environment

Biodegradable flossers promote gum health and protect environment

January 11, 2021 |

In New York, a graduate student in design has invented a biodegradable, single-use dental flosser.  Dubbed Carbyn and made from polyhydroxyalkanoates bioplastic and biochar, the flosser also absorbs atmospheric carbon—meaning it sequesters more carbon than it emits as it biodegrades.  “Increasingly, our material choices have become moral choices,” inventor Jessica Smith tells Yanko Design. Carbyn […]

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Mitsubishi, Aleph hope to bring cultured beef to discerning Japanese palates

Mitsubishi, Aleph hope to bring cultured beef to discerning Japanese palates

January 11, 2021 |

In Japan, conglomerate Mitsubishi has partnered with Israeli cultured meat startup Aleph Farms to bring lab-grown beef to the country’s markets and restaurants.  Under the terms of the deal, Mitsubishi and Aleph will collaborate to create formulations that appeal to Japanese consumers and meet regulatory requirements. The two will then leverage Mitsubishi’s infrastructure for production […]

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Aussie startup raises $6 million to put exotic meats on your plate

Aussie startup raises $6 million to put exotic meats on your plate

January 11, 2021 |

In Australia, cultured meat startup Vow has raised $6 million to expand its product pipeline of oddball meats, including kangaroo and alpaca.  Led by Australia’s Square Peg Capital, the oversubscribed seed funding will help the company “outperform meat, instead of simply replacing it,” according to a press release issued by the Sydney-based startup. The company, […]

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Wooden satellites eyed as answer to growing space junk problem

Wooden satellites eyed as answer to growing space junk problem

January 4, 2021 |

In Japan, Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are designing a satellite made from wood that would completely incinerate upon re-entry in an effort to reduce space junk. If successful, it would be the world’s first functional wood-based satellite.   “We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn […]

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