Vitrolabs, a company that has discovered a tissue engineering process that can grow cowhide in a lab has just raised $46million in funding for production. This is undoubtedly amazing, but what problem is it solving?
Speaking to Forbes magazine, Vitrolabs’ co-founder Ingvar Helgason compared the process to science fiction and said: “We’re growing real animal hides in a lab and transforming them into leather.”
The company used the funding to move into a 45,000 square foot combined laboratory and manufacturing space.
It’s a very clever thing to do. In very broad terms, a biopsy is performed on a cow and the cells are fed into a bioreactor that is rich in nutrients. Then, over three to four weeks, the cells form tissue resembling animal hide. This can then be made into leather by tanning.
But you have to ask one simple question. Why? Hundreds of millions of cattle hides are thrown away every year. Every single one of them is a by-product of the meat and dairy industry.
Josslyn Shi from California College of Art has been crowned Overall Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition at a glittering final event held at the U.S. Embassy in London.
The anticipated debut album has been released and the pair are spotted in much-coveted Jeff Hamilton leather jackets on the album cover.
Meet Brigida Aiello first place garment winner in the 2020/21 Italy Student Design Competition.
Braydan and Misty Shaw own and run Burns 1876, a business dating back to the days of the wild west. And they have a mission to keep leather crafting skills alive. We had a chat about the company’s history, their love of leather and how they are mentoring a
When Lisa Crick sees an old leather sofa, she sees a whole world of possibilities. The super-recycler tells us about the inspirations for her business, New Baginnings, and how her materials evolved from old curtains to repurposed leather.
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