In Boston, a promising bioplastic was among the five 2022 Earthshot Prize Winners announced to much fanfare amid a US visit by Prince William and his wife Catherine. The Prince of Wales launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020. The prize will hand out £50 million over 10 years to organizations working to address the world’s […]
In Boston, Gingko Bioworks has partnered with Berkeley, California’s Lygos to optimize production of biobased specialty chemicals. Under the terms of the deal, Lygos and Ginkgo plan to advance two research and development programs over approximately two years. Ginkgo will leverage its expertise in strain development and metabolic engineering to design and optimize microorganisms to […]
In Boston, synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks and Sumitomo Chemical have announced a partnership to identify biobased ingredients for cosmetics and personal care applications. Sumitomo Chemical will leverage Ginkgo’s codebase and expertise in organism engineering to sustainably produce molecules used in products across a broad range of industries. The target molecule is planned to be […]
In Boston, a startup producing sustainable chemicals for apparel, personal care and medicine from natural silk proteins has raised $120 million to scale production. The financing will advance global sales for Evolved By Nature’s Advanced Silk products, which can also replace petrochemical coatings used by the leather and textile industries. In the last year, the […]
In Boston, a biotech startup called Mori is developing an edible coating that extends the shelf life of food, prevents bacterial contamination, and reduces the need for packaging. Launched by Massachusetts Institute of Technology assistant professor Benedetto Marelli, the technology extracts fibroin from silk industry waste and applies it to everything from vegetables to steaks. […]
In Boston, foodtech company Motif FoodWorks says it has received unspecified funding from Footprint Coalition Ventures, an investment firm founded by Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. Motif uses precision fermentation to produce ingredients that mimic animal muscle protein, while plant proteins and plant-based carbohydrates help it achieve meat-like texture. “If plant-based foods are going to […]
In Boston, a startup pursuing whole-cut meats from plants has raised $12 million with participation from actress Natalie Portman. Formerly named Boston Meats, the company uses technology licensed from Harvard University to spin plant proteins into faux meat that resembles muscle cuts. To date, it has developed beef steaks, pulled pork and chicken breast. The […]
In Boston, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created light-emitting, rechargeable plants that are ten times brighter than the light-emitting, rechargeable plants they created in 2017. The researchers say the outside-the-box solution to home lighting could lower your electricity bills, as well as your carbon footprint. “We wanted to create a light-emitting plant […]
In Boston, Swiss specialty chemicals giant Givaudan has partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks to enable fermentation-based production processes for ingredients that are in demand but only available in minute quantities in nature. Under the terms of the deal, Ginkgo will use its cell programming platform to develop organisms that produce these rare products at high yields. […]
In Boston, newly public synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks will undertake strain engineering services for Bolt Threads. Under the terms of the agreement, Gingko will use its platform to improve the “sustainability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness” of Bolt Threads’ b-silk protein manufacturing process. b-silk is currently available in premium product lines like Vegamour hair care products—which […]
