Creative powerhouse VML, genomic innovators The Organoid Company, and sustainable biotechnology firm Lab-Grown Leather have joined forces to develop the world’s first T-Rex leather made using the extinct creature’s DNA…
“This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials. By reconstructing and optimizing ancient protein sequences, we can design T. Rex leather, a biomaterial inspired by prehistoric biology, and clone it into a custom-engineered cell line,” said Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company…
While it was previously believed that dinosaur DNA wouldn’t survive for millions of years, recent discoveries have found collagen preserved in various dinosaur fossils, including an 80-million-year-old T Rex.
Last year, MIT researchers decoded how the dinosaur collagen survived for so long. Interestingly, they discovered a specific atomic mechanism that shields collagen from water’s damaging effects.
In this new work, the T-rex-based leather material creation method differs from plant-based or synthetic alternatives by focusing on growing biological structures in a lab. This bio-fabrication process directly cultivates leather-like tissue from cells.
The process of creating T-Rex leather uses fossilized dinosaur collagen as a template. Using this, the team will generate a complete collagen sequence for the T-Rex to cultivate new skin.
The collagen sequence will be translated into DNA and introduced into Lab-Grown Leather’s cells.
Here is the full story, via Mike Doherty. The actual product might be ready by the end of the year, at what price I do not know.
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