{"id":111749,"date":"2022-06-30T07:05:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T05:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=111749"},"modified":"2022-06-27T10:44:34","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T08:44:34","slug":"unilever-genomaticas-palm-oil-alternatives-biobased-world-cup-soccer-balls-mistletoe-as-natural-glue-and-more-the-digests-top-8-innovations-for-the-week-of-june-23rd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/unilever-genomaticas-palm-oil-alternatives-biobased-world-cup-soccer-balls-mistletoe-as-natural-glue-and-more-the-digests-top-8-innovations-for-the-week-of-june-23rd\/","title":{"rendered":"Unilever & Genomatica\u2019s palm oil alternatives, biobased World Cup soccer balls, mistletoe as natural glue, and more: The Digest\u2019s Top 8 Innovations for the week of June 23rd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Controversial palm oil is used in so many things today, but Unilever and Genomatica are looking at commercializing alternatives for palm oil and fossil fuel ingredients in cleaning and personal care products. Even the 2022 FIFA World Cup is looking at more sustainable items and will use soccer balls produced in Pakistan using partially biobased materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#1 Unilever and Genomatica partner for palm oil alternatives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In San Diego, biobased chemicals producer Genomatica and consumer giant Unilever have announced a joint venture aimed at commercializing alternatives for palm oil and fossil fuel ingredients in cleaning and personal care products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by a $120-million investment by the two companies, the unamed JV will develop an alternative, plant-based ingredient using biotechnology for what the companies estimate is a $625-billion addressable market. For Unilever, one of the world\u2019s biggest soap and detergent manufacturers, this is the largest investment in biotechnology alternatives to palm oil to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the terms of the agreement, Genomatica will deploy its biotechnology platform and is already starting to scale the process for its advanced technology to produce the ingredients. Initial estimates have shown that companies could reduce the carbon footprint of palm-derived ingredients by up to 50% with this technology-driven, plant-based alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBiotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the sourcing of our cleansing ingredients and ensure Unilever is a future-fit business\u2014for consumers, shareholders and the planet we all share,\u201d says Unilever\u2019s Chief R&D Officer Richard Slater in a press statement. \u201cThis new venture will sit at the intersection of science and sustainability, meaning we can continue to grow our business without relying only on palm oil or fossil fuel derivatives, while also making our supply chains more resilient from having access to ingredient alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#2 Mistletoe eyed as source of natural glue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Quebec, researchers at McGill University are looking into the potential of mistletoe to provide a natural source of glue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally known for the Christmas kiss tradition, mistletoe viscin, a sticky thread that allows its parasitic seeds to stick to other plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research began after Matthew Harrington\u2014an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University working on nature-based adhesives and bioinspired materials\u2014visited Germany and noticed mistletoe bought at the local Christmas market was sticking to things. \u201cI was intrigued,\u201d he says. \u201cThe fact that viscin can adhere to both wood and skin or feathers, may be relevant evolutionarily speaking,\u201d he adds. \u201cBut it\u2019s harder to explain adherence to various synthetic surfaces, such as plastics, glass and metal alloys, from an adaptive point of view. So viscin may simply represent a highly versatile adhesion chemistry, which is what makes it so interesting to explore what is going on chemically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harrington and colleagues are now working to better understand viscin chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#3 Biobased soccer balls headed to 2022 World Cup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Qatar, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will use soccer balls produced in Pakistan using partially biobased materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designed and hand-stitched by Forward Sports in Sialkot, Punjab, the Al Rihla soccer balls have now been picked three times for the massively popular sporting event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement was made by Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) Senior Vice President Sheikh Zohaib Rafique Sethi. Although the nature of the biobased material was not disclosed, Rafique says the design of the balls is inspired by the culture of Qatar and that no chemical solvents are used in the manufacturing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#4 SYNLawn introduces soybean-based putting green<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In Georgia, soybean-based artificial grass maker SYNLawn has introduced a portable putting green to help golf enthusiasts practice their short game in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the company, the Portable Golf Green with Fringe is \u201cexpertly designed\u201d to provide customers with the most realistic putting surface. \u201cAs the weather gets warmer, more and more people are interested in portable putting green systems,\u201d says George Neagle, executive vice president of SYNLawn. \u201cAs demand has gone up, we wanted to create an upgraded product that looks even more natural and performs better than any other like it on the market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#5 Patagonia, HeiQ jointly develop mint oil odor control for fabric<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In California, sustainable outdoor gear brand Patagonia and Switzerland\u2019s HeiQ have developed mint-based textile odor control technology. Dubbed HeiQ Fresh MNT, the product uses a renewable and responsibly sourced mint oil-derived textile technology to control malodor development on textiles, providing fabrics with a long-lasting odor control capability. Based on test method ISO17299-3A using isovaleric acid, treated synthetic fibers more than double the odor control efficiency versus current industry standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith odor control you need to wash less, saving water, detergent, energy, microfiber and prolong the life of garments,\u201d HeiQ Co-founder and CEO Carlo Centonze says in a statement. \u201cWe can all now look forward to a fresher smelling society with natural, reliable and durable odor control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patagonia, as the development partner, is the first to commit to the technology and will start to upgrade its products in the near future. \u201cWe have been relentlessly testing this technology and lining up the supply chain to bring products enhanced with HeiQ Fresh MNT to the market as quickly as possible,\u201d says Laura Hoch, Material Innovation Engineer from Patagonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#6 DOE hands out $39 million for carbon-storing building materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Washington, DC, the Department of Energy has announced $39 million in R&D grants to 18 projects aimed at turning buildings into carbon storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by DOE\u2019s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, selectees for the Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere program will prioritize overcoming barriers associated with carbon-storing buildings, including scarce, expensive and geographically limited building materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s huge, untapped potential in reimagining building materials and construction techniques as carbon sinks that support a cleaner atmosphere and advance President Biden\u2019s national climate goals,\u201d says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a press statement. \u201cThis is a unique opportunity for researchers to advance clean energy materials to tackle one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors that is responsible for roughly 10% of total annual emissions in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners include National Renewable Energy Lab in Fairbanks, AK, which is developing biobased insulation using cellulose and mycelium; Purdue University, which is looking to develop a transformational \u201cliving\u201d wood with the strength of steel, self-healing capability, and combined carbon-sequestering benefits from wood and microbes; and SkyNano LLC (Knoxville, TN), which is developing a composite panel that contains bio-derived natural fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#7 Dutch bank offers mortgage discounts for renewable construction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Netherlands, building a home from straw or fungi could earn you a cheaper mortgage. Introduced by Triodos, a bank headquartered in Zeist, the \u201cbio-based mortgage\u201d provides a lower interest rate to homes bought or built using materials such as wood, flax, or fungi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bank estimates just 1-2% of buildings in the country are made with biobased materials but expects this to grow with government incentives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alba Concepts, a real estate consultancy, will verify a building\u2019s environmental rating and the carbon-storage capability of a building\u2019s materials. According to Time magazine, buildings rated A++++ qualify for a rate 0.15% lower than buildings rated B. Buildings rated A++++ that also use plant-based materials qualify for a further 0.15% rate discount. Triodos offered the country\u2019s first energy efficiency mortgage in 2012 and in 2020 ceased offering full mortgages on buildings with poor energy ratings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#8 Moolec targets first molecular farming Nasdaq listing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, molecular farming pioneer Moolec Science plans to list on the Nasdaq through a business combination with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) LightJump Acquisition Corp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moolec develops animal proteins in plants using molecular farming, a scalable, affordable, and sustainable technology that produces animal proteins using plants as small factories. The transaction sets Moolec\u2019s proforma equity value at $504 million, assuming no redemptions from shareholders of LightJump. Upon closing, the combined company is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol \u201cMLEC\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moolec\u2019s first two products\u2014chymosin SPC, a bovine protein expressed in safflower that has curdling applications in the cheese industry and gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), a nutritional oil technology sourced from Bioceres Crop Solutions\u2014both use safflower as a carrier crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moolec expects to become the first molecular farming foodtech company listed on Nasdaq. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2022. Cash proceeds will primarily be used to accelerate the commercialization of late-stage products, expand R&D and regulatory approval efforts, add personnel, and fund organic and inorganic growth <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Controversial palm oil is used in so many things today, but Unilever and Genomatica are looking at commercializing alternatives for palm oil and fossil fuel ingredients in cleaning and personal care products. Even the 2022 FIFA World Cup is looking at more sustainable items and will use soccer balls produced in Pakistan using partially biobased […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"In today\u2019s Digest, check out these bioinnovations as well as mistletoe being used as natural glue, soybean based putting greens, and more\u2026","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[5838,15763,5796,14862,5528],"supplier":[20552,1674,20550,2414,19875,20554,3805,20553,1734,3664,20551,13321,9904,455,11236],"class_list":["post-111749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-bioeconomy","tag-bioindustry","tag-biotechnology","tag-innovations","tag-sustainability","supplier-alba-concepts","supplier-fifa","supplier-forward-sports","supplier-genomatica-inc","supplier-heiq-aeoniq-lcc","supplier-lightjump","supplier-mcgill-university-in-montreal","supplier-moolec-science","supplier-patagonia","supplier-rdleverage","supplier-sialkot-chamber-of-commerce-industry-scci","supplier-synlawn","supplier-triodos-bank","supplier-unilever","supplier-u-s-department-of-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111749\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111749"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=111749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}