The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of May 2nd, 2018

The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the changes. Here are the top innovations for the week of May 2nd..

#1 Finnish partnership yields solar-powered biochemical production process

In Finland, a joint study by the University of Turku and VTT Technical Research Centre has developed an improved method for producing biobased hydrogen and other chemicals. The joint effort found that, by attaching cells to a transparent nanocellulose film, they could induce microbial cells to produce biohydrogen from solar energy. The method is also expected to enhance the production of other biochemicals from microalgal cells. By binding cells within or onto a surface of a gel-like substance, cell metabolism shifts from the growth of biomass to the production of the desired compounds. Additionally, attachment of the cells to a thin, transparent film significantly reduces the loss of light energy compared to normal cultivation of microalgae in the growth medium. Nanocellulose film developed by VTT performed better than an alginate polymer, which has relatively poor mechanical durability and low porosity.
The work, led by Yagut Allahverdiyeva, Associate Professor of Molecular Plant Biology at the University of Turku, has been published Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

#2 Using satellite imagery and AI, Agronow launches Agriculture 5.0

In Brazil, Agronow is spearheading Agriculture 5.0, through which it will be possible to monitor crops by using artificial intelligence, making it possible for all sectors involved in agribusiness to receive alerts, information, analyses that are fundamental for remotely strategic decision making. “Agronow is developing a technology that uses neural networks to determine what a crop is without having a manual input. This will allow the company to make correct estimates not only about yields, but also about the total agricultural production of a region or country. So we will be able to deliver completely new market intelligence with a detailed vision of how to expand the agricultural frontier and of changes in weekly production,” said the CEO of the company, Rafael Coelho. Capable of monitoring rural property anywhere in the world by using satellite imagery, Agronow places all of the information on a farm’s productivity onto a unique platform.

#3 XpertSea lands $10 million for AI-enabled aquaculture

In Canada, XpertSea, a Canadian company which develops technologies to make aquaculture more profitable and sustainable, raised $10 million CAD in Series A financing. By 2050, our planet will be home to 10 billion people, requiring a 70 percent increase in food production. The aquaculture industry supplies more than half the seafood consumed worldwide and is growing at 6 percent per year. But the use of outdated technologies like hand-counting of aquatic organisms results in financial losses, as aquaculture producers overspend by an average of 20 percent in feed alone, and seafood survival rates can be as low as 50 percent. XpertSea solves this technology gap by using artificial intelligence and computer vision to count and size early-stage aquatic organisms such as shrimp larvae and live feed. The XperCount is a smart IoT device that connects to a portal where customers can access data and analytics from any device, anywhere.

#4 Biobased fire additive under development for military

In Ontario, FireRein and Ethonus have signed a licensing agreement with the United States military for a biobased firefighting water additive. The deal will accelerate the commercialization and adoption of Eco-Gel, which becomes a firefighting hydrogel when introduced into a water stream at concentrations ranging from 2–5%, the companies say.

“This partnership with Ethonus gives us access to the resources, expertise and relationships needed to bring the performance and environmental features of Eco-Gel to the military sector. We are excited to work with Ethonus to enhance firefighter and community safety throughout the US military, aerospace and defense sectors,” says Rui Resendes, president and CEO of FireRein. Eco-Gel is the only firefighting water additive certified the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be 100% biobased. The collaboration will endeavor to secure a military specification (MIL-SPEC) for Eco-Gel.

#5 L’Oreal launches Seed Phytonutrients line of personal care products

In the United States, L’Oréal is launching Seed Phytonutrients, a beauty brand using natural ingredients, many of which extracted from seeds. The brand uses heirloom seeds sourced from local farms in Pennsylvania. The Seed Phytonutrients line—created by farmer and L’Oreal executive Shane Wolf—includes 16 products for hair, body and skin care. It includes a face mask with seed oils like camelina, sunflower, and safflower, and a hair and body oil using seed oils, coconut, and argon oil.
All products within the Seed Phytonutrients line are free of gluten, paraben, and sulfates. The are also cruelty free and 93–100% natural. According to Allure magazine, earth-friendly products are shifting from a niche category to the mainstream.

#6 Inocucor buys ATP Nutrition to increase crop yields with both biologics and nutrients

In Colorado, Inocucor Corporation, a developer and producer of biological crop inputs for high-value produce and row crops, announced it has acquired ATP Nutrition, a producer of science-based plant nutrients based in Oak Bluff, Manitoba, Canada.
Crop nutrients, such as those produced by ATP Nutrition and biologicals, such as Inocucor’s, are designed to work together to boost plant health and grower yields. ATP will continue to operate as a plant nutrient supplier to canola, soybean, corn, pulse and cereal growers through its broad distribution network throughout North America and will help drive company profitability over the short- to medium-term. A key initiative of the new entity will be a collaborative effort by Inocucor’s and ATP’s R & D teams to develop products that synergistically drive the genetic potential of the crop by combining biologicals and plant nutrition. New products will be formulated based on plant type, geography and soil conditions.

#7 Citrus waste successfully repurposed for towel production

In Japan, a region known for both its production of luxury towels and orange groves has married the two by using cellulose nanofibers derived from the skin of the mikan orange in the production of towels.Researchers in the Ehime Prefecture used CNFs, which are made by breaking up the outer coating of the orange into nanometer pieces, as a glue to strengthen the cotton fibers are they are machine spin. The CNFs are eventually washed away in hot water, but the material gives off a pleasant, orange smell in the meantime.In addition to replacing chemical adhesives, the material also finds a use for the region’s citrus waste.  The prefectural government as well as universities in the region are looking for ways to reduce the cost. The CNFs made from the oranges could also have applications in reinforced resin and rubber.

#8 LANXESS launches new prepolymer for polyurethane cast elastomers

In Germany, LANXESS, developed Vibrathane 7085, a new, polyester-based prepolymer for hot cast elastomers. It has MDI end groups (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and cures with 1,4-butanediol to polyurethane cast elastomers, distinguished by a low compression set and a high tear strength at hardnesses of 83 to 87 Shore A. “This is a particular advantage of our material. Both properties are usually inversely related, so that they normally can’t be optimized together,” said Dr. Nitin Sharma, expert in the Global Research & Development and Innovation Center of the Urethane Systems business unit of LANXESS in their press release. The general purpose prepolymer can be economically processed under catalysis in short to medium pot lifes to produce elastomer solutions which cover a wide range of demands. “Possible applications include, for example, die cutting blankets and anvils, bushings for torque rods of trucks, buses and trailers, and robust, noise-damping shaking screens for ore processing,” said Sharma. “This material is particularly suitable for dynamically highly stressed components such as wheels and rolls of forklift trucks.”

#9 British seaweed could open door to biobased displays

In the United Kingdom, researchers have found that crystal structures used by Cystoseira tamariscifolia, a brown algae commonly known as Rainbow wrack, reflect the sun and could one day have applications in biodegradable displays and bioplastics.
University of Bristol physicist Ruth Oulton tells Live Science that the algal opals are made from lipids in a tightly packed lattice structure. However, in most organisms the opals are hard. Rainbow wrack is “the first time that an opal’s been found that’s not made of hard material inside a living thing,” she adds. The lattice changes shape depending on the amount of sunlight. “What we know is seaweed itself can change [its] opal … when it gets lighter, the opal structure disappears,” Oulton said. “When [a] beetle dies, the opal is still there, but if the seaweed were to die, all of it would disappear.” Oulton’s team thinks the finding could be used to make biodegradable displays and in biodegradable packaging labels. Their work was published in a recent issue of Science.

#10 Beyond Sausage now available in Whole Food Market stores nationwide

In California, Beyond Meat announced that Beyond Sausage, the breakthrough plant-based links that look, sizzle and satisfy like pork sausage, will be sold at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Available in three flavors, Original Bratwurst, Hot Italian and Sweet Italian, Beyond Sausage will come in four-link packages. Beyond Sausage delivers on the juicy, satisfying taste and texture of pork sausage, but with 16 grams of plant-based protein, more than that of traditional pork sausage, and 38 percent less saturated fat. Unlike pork sausage, it contains no nitrates or antibiotics, and has no GMOs, soy, or gluten to boot. Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat said, “This is the first retail product off of our pork platform, one where we’ve invested in diversifying plant proteins and creating greater texture complexity. As with any first iteration, we are eagerly awaiting consumer feedback and hope they enjoy it as much as we do.”