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11 December 202511 December 2025

Solar-driven PHB synthesis from wastewater by engineered semiconductor–bacteria biohybrids

Successfully scaling up this technology could disrupt traditional wastewater management by transforming treatment plants into net-positive biofactories

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17 October 202513 October 2025

Scientists create natural plastics for everyday packaging

The study, led by two researchers of the Monash University, provides a framework for designing bioplastics for temperature-sensitive packaging, addressing the global challenge of single-use plastic waste

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25 September 202519 September 2025

Biodegradable alternatives to (intentional) microplastics

BIOWEG, a German biotechnology company developing high-performance, biodegradable ingredients to replace intentionally added acrylic polymer based microplastics, has closed a EUR 16 million Series A round

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16 September 202510 September 2025

Giving food waste fermentation a ‘jolt’ increases chemical production

Researchers at The Ohio State University discovered that combining two bacterial species in the electro-fermentation mix helped accelerate the process and allowed more targeted chemical production

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5 September 20251 September 2025

Wheat That Makes Its Own Fertilizer

Bacterial Work-Around Aims to Reduce Pollution, Lower Costs for Farmers

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3 September 202527 August 2025

The latest in biomaterials research

The best in new biomaterials research from the last year

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5 August 202529 July 2025

Binghamton University researchers develop process to turn food waste into biodegradable plastic

Research paper offers fundamental findings for any company interested in scaling up the process

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22 July 202516 July 2025

University of Houston Engineer Creates a Possible Replacement for Plastic

Improved Bacterial Cellulose Could Lead to Stronger, Eco-Friendly Materials for Everyday Use

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COM4PHA: new biodegradable bioplastics for cosmetics, food and agricultural packaging

This research project is working on formulations based on the PHBV copolymer, for use in the packaging and agricultural sectors

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11 July 20257 July 2025

Microbes transform plastic waste into paracetamol

Paracetamol production could be revolutionised by the discovery that a common bacterium can turn everyday plastic waste into the painkiller, a study reveals

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16 June 202510 June 2025

Again Breaks Ground on Texas Facility to Produce Sustainable Acetic Acid from CO₂

First-of-a-kind commercial plant will recycle waste CO2 emissions from a tenant at the Diamond Infrastructure Solutions (Diamond) Texas City industrial park into sustainable chemicals, fertilizers and building blocks

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14 May 20258 May 2025

Multilayer biocomposite vegan leather materials derived from vegetable-tanned fungal biomass cultivated on food waste

In this study, the researchers used the filamentous fungus Rhizopus delemar cultivated on bread waste, which produces multilayer fungal biocomposites as a promising vegan alternative leather

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6 May 202529 April 2025

Biomaterials in construction: meet the startups reinventing our buildings

In this article, we will explore the various up-and-coming biotechs making a mark in the construction field and how biomaterials could potentially transform a carbon-intensive industry

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28 April 202522 April 2025

Living fungus-based building material repairs itself for over a month

The root-like mycelium of a fungus and bacteria cells could eventually offer a sustainable alternative for high-emission building materials like concrete

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12 March 20257 March 2025

Synthetic Carbon Assimilation Surpasses Nature

New-to-Nature Pathway Outperforms Natural Pathway in Living Bacteria

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10 March 202510 March 2025

Bacterial nanocellulose: A sustainable alternative to forest resource consumption

One of the most promising options is a biopolymer produced by certain bacteria that offers unique properties and a more environmentally friendly manufacturing process

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19 February 202514 February 2025

Nylon Eaters – Microscopic Helpers Recycle Plastic Waste

At the Forschungszentrum Jülich they genetically enhanced the versatile soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida to metabolize a mixture of nylon building blocks and convert it into value-added products like biopolyesters

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17 February 202512 February 2025

ModernSynthesis is making compostable materials that last a lifetime

The company's bacteria-based nanocellulose fibers can be manipulated in ways that simple plant fibers cannot - like being spread into a thin, wind-resistant film or textured to mimic high-quality leather

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21 January 202516 January 2025

Removing microplastics with engineered bacteria

Researchers altered bacteria found in wastewater treatment, where microplastics can enter environment

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9 January 202511 January 2025

CO2-eating bacteria recycles carbon from chimney smoke directly into new products

New research from Aarhus University has revealed how we can make it much cheaper to capture and convert CO2 from industry for usable products. The research has just been published in Nature Communications

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28 November 202425 November 2024

The fungi and microbes that break down forever chemicals

Emerging biobased techniques could offer new tools without the disadvantages of traditional methods

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13 November 202413 November 2024

OXMAN Unveils the O° Shoe – a 100% Biodegradable Shoe made without Petrochemicals, producing Zero Microplastics

The O° collection is made using patent pending OXMAN technology that integrates digital, material, biological, and robotic innovations and uses a single organic material to create 100% biobased consumer products

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22 October 202418 October 2024

This inventive brutalist lamp is actually made out of bacteria-based concrete

Not all feats of science meet the eye. This lamp’s material innovation makes it more sustainable

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16 October 202410 October 2024

Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food

Finding could lead to bioengineering solutions to clean up plastic waste

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11 October 20249 October 2024

Steps towards enzymes capable of breaking down PE

Every year, 400 million tonnes of plastic products are produced worldwide, half of which are single-use items discarded within a year

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16 September 20249 December 2024

Plastic Fantastic: Green, Strong and Edible

Weizmann Institute researchers have created a biodegradable composite material that might help battle the global plastic-waste crisis

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6 September 20246 September 2024

Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories

Scientists discovered some purple bacteria that can produce bioplastics without adding CO2 to the atmosphere and which are completely biodegradable

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22 July 202417 July 2024

Bacterial glitter: New findings open up possibilities for sustainable color technologies

An international research team of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse' has investigated the mechanism that makes bacteria reflect light without using pigments

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12 July 202410 July 2024

Bio-concrete and biogenic construction materials with cyanobacteria

Researchers at Fraunhofer FEP, led by Dr. Ulla König, are establishing the methods of culturing the cyanobacteria, the complementary microbiological analysis, and the upscaling of the biomass production to be achieved

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10 July 20249 October 2024

Co-fermentation process making significant strides in biofuel research

Oklahoma State University researchers are converting through fermentation sugars into alcohols, organic acids and ketones

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3 July 20242 July 2024

Precision Fermentation: What is it?

How Precision Fermentation can accelerate the journey to Net Zero by 2040

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27 June 202421 June 2024

Rare Earths 85% Recyclable Thanks to Bacteria

Efficient Recycling Process for Rare Earths Through Bioleaching and Bioaccumulation

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18 June 202413 June 2024

Engineered Bacteria for Sustainable Biorefining from Sorghum Biomass

Converting lignin into valuable products is one of the keys to making plant-based products a cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuels and petrochemicals

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3 June 202427 May 2024

Where next for South Africa’s bioeconomy?

Eleven years on from the release of its national Bioeconomy Strategy, how has South Africa progressed in building biobased capacity?

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13 May 20246 May 2024

Biodegradable ‘Living Plastic’ Houses Bacterial Spores That Help It Break Down

Extra-strong spore-loaded plastic eats itself when it hits landfill

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7 May 202430 April 2024

Central and Eastern Europe moves towards a higher-value bioeconomy

Hungary reportedly intends to use its EU presidency between July and December this year to develop new bioeconomies in CEE, covering countries like Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia

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Bacteria for climate-neutral chemicals of the future

The team around Prof. Dr. Julia Vorholt is looking for ways to reduce the chemical industry's dependence on fossil fuels

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17 April 202415 April 2024

Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria

This new process could also theoretically be adapted to have bacteria grow materials with various vibrant colours and patterns

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A microbial plastic factory for high-quality green plastic

Bioengineers achieved strong and easy-to-shape eco-friendly plastic using a plastic modifier and polylactic acid

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4 April 202428 March 2024

Self-healing Concrete Insights

The innovative DEEP PURPLE project to showcase the feasibility of transforming raw materials from organic waste or wastewater into five ‘consumer’ products

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27 March 202422 March 2024

The DEEP PURPLE project – deriving bioplastics out of wastewater

Different companies using wastewater as a source of biomass to make circular, eco-friendly products using Purple Phototrophic Bacteria (PPB)

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25 March 202419 March 2024

Can Biocement Help the Air Force Build New Runways in the Pacific?

Innovative biomanufacturing process, where naturally-occurring bacteria convert road salt and an organic compound called urea into biocement

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15 March 202411 March 2024

Four perspectives on how Europe can scale its bioeconomy

Only high volume substitutes at reasonable cost can set biobased products on a course to cutting petrochemicals, but the industry is still far from this position

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7 February 202431 January 2024

Biosurfactant and biopolymer producing microorganisms from West Kazakhstan oilfield

Microorganisms can produce various biosurfactants that can replace chemical analog compounds, they are biodegradable, have a low toxicity and the ability to be obtained from renewable and cheap substrates

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12 January 20249 January 2024

Insights Into the Metabolism of Plastic-Eating Bacteria

Researchers have shown for the first time how bacteria break down common plastic coatings

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11 January 20244 January 2024

First step towards synthetic CO2 fixation in living cells

Three modules forming a new-to-nature CO2 fixation cycle successfully implemented in E.coli

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8 January 202422 December 2023

Danish Climate Tech Startup Again Launches Groundbreaking Production Site for CO₂-Based Chemicals and Announces $10 million Seed Round 

The company harnesses natural, gas-eating bacteria to convert waste carbon dioxide (CO₂) into a range of sustainable chemical products

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13 December 20237 December 2023

Combating oil spills – biosurfactants can stimulate microbial oil degradation

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has investigated the potential of biosurfactants as an alternative to chemical dispersants using seawater from the North Sea

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5 October 20232 October 2023

Scientists Use Bacteria to Turn Plastic Into Useful Substances

James Collins from MIT and Ting Lu with the University of Illinois described in a study how to turn plasticwaste into useful products

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24 August 202323 August 2023

How bacteria can be “tamed” for sustainable plastics production

Research team at Giessen University develops new system for tailored control of gene expression