Insights
Greener sun protection from plants, bacteria, and algae
Gadusol Labs, an Oregon State University spinoff founded in 2017, has pioneered a new kind of sunscreen inspired by the biological world. Their researchers took the Zebrafish as their model, a freshwater species that protects their spawn from sun damage…
Plant-based frames and lenses take on oil-based eyewear
Plant-based materials hold surprising versatility and one of their most surprising applications over the last decade has been in optical lenses and eyewear frames, where plastics currently dominate.
Circular tents reduce camping’s carbon footprint
Not many practices make us as sensitive to our environmental footprint as camping does. A few days without unlimited water and electric charging can show us how little we need and how much we ordinarily waste.
Surfboards from invasive trees offer a habitat-restoring plastic alternative
They say you never forget your first wave. Up to 35 million people worldwide surf, a past-time that may be as old as the human discovery of oceans. In the cultures of the Polynesian islands, surfing was an ancient activity…
Plant-based biotech could stem crop losses in a hotter world
The British food supply stands on a house of cards under a warming climate. 66% of its consumed berries including bananas, 54% of citrus, and 19% of legumes come from countries with high or intermediate climate vulnerability.
The accelerator at the heart of Portugal’s marine biotech drive
In March 2023, the InvestEU Blue Economy instrument awarded €28 million for blue economy SMEs and small mid caps, primarily within Portugal and Spain. The funding was a win for the Portuguese government, which has been trying to develop its…