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Follow us while we explore the possibilities biotechnology can bring to our lives and the innovators making an impact in the industry in a series of 5 blogs
Shampoo, toiletries, office supplies, carpets, coating, lotion, did you know all of these products have a biobased version? Biobased products are derived from plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials and provide an alternative to conventional petroleum derived products.
Basically, anything except food that is made with organic material is a biobased product. To be qualified as a bioproduct, however, manufacturers need to comply with certain regulations, that vary according to the country. These mostly refer to the percentage of biobased content each product should have. In the United States, for instance, a deodorant can only be considered a bioproduct if 73% of its content is biobased.
But what is the advantage of a biobased product? As they are derived from renewable raw materials such as plants, biobased products can help reduce CO2 and offer other advantages such as lower toxicity, for example. With climate change and the urge to live a more sustainable life, more and more biobased solutions are coming to the market.
Innovative solutions
B4Plastics, a Belgium startup, is developing, designing and distributing eco-plastics. Some of their products include biodegradable straws, an ecological trimming line and the first plastic product ever can be monitored on a smartphone to predict and follow its speed of composting.
Lipcoat is another startup working with biobased products. They have developed a bio-inspired coating technology of just 5 nanometres thick. By mimicking the natural cell membrane consisting of a phospholipid bilayer, biocompatible and high performance medical device coatings can be prepared.
The opportunity
If you are working with food biotechology, or know a startup or innovator working with this, then be sure to let them know about this opportunity to be part of a validation lab.
YES!Delft, Biotech Campus Delft, and its main stakeholder Royal DSM, are looking for innovative startups, solutions or ideas within the biotechnology sector that are working on creating the future of a circular bio-based economy. They are offering a validation lab for biotechnology startups, especially those working with enzymes and food.