Bolt Threads and Ginkgo Bioworks expand collaboration into leather alternative
In Boston, Bolt Threads and Ginkgo Bioworks have inked a multi-project collaboration to increase the production efficiency and performance of Bolt’s current portfolio and develop novel proteins for biomaterials. The first program aims to optimize the production efficiency of Bolt’s Mylo™, a leather alternative made out of mycelium, the underground root system of fungi.
Mylo can be used in footwear, handbags, wallets, phone cases, and other products, and is already in use by brands like adidas, Stella McCartney, GANNI and lululemon. Through this collaboration, Ginkgo aims to increase the growth rate of Bolt’s mycelium, lowering the overall production costs of Mylo. The new development agreement builds on an existing relationship between the partners for optimization of Bolt’s b-silk™ protein.
“Over the last few years, the largest fashion brands worldwide and the textiles industry have collectively recognized the need to develop more sustainable and low-footprint materials. Bolt Threads is at the forefront of this shift, and Mylo represents this future,” Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder, Ginkgo Bioworks, says in a press statement. “We are excited to leverage our Foundry and Codebase to help drive down the cost of producing Mylo making the product more accessible to a variety of markets where innovative and exciting alternative materials can be used.”
Category: Chemicals & Materials
