Inside bioreactors in its new lab in London, the startup Modern Synthesis uses sugar from plant waste along with microbes to grow “microbial textiles,” which could eventually help replace both leather and synthetic fabric made from fossil fuels.
“What we’re trying to build is a new bioeconomy that’s built around more efficient systems that convert waste—in our case, waste sugars from agricultural production or other sources—into high-quality materials that can then be circled back,” says cofounder Jen Keane. “Biology is the ultimate circular economy.” Later, the materials can be recycled, or, depending on how they’re made, composted.
