Leather is highly coveted for luxury products, but its production has significant environmental impacts and raises concerns about animal welfare. In search of a sustainable substitute, VML, The Organoid Company, and Lab-Grown Leather Ltd have collaborated to create an innovative alternative using a material inspired by the long-extinct T-Rex.

Even though it’s called ‘leather’ like cowhide, T-Rex leather doesn’t actually come from any living animal’s skin or flesh. The process kicks off with T-Rex DNA sourced from fossilized collagen, a protein that’s key for the skin, tendons, bones, and cartilage in animals. The team uses synthetic DNA designed by The Organoid Company to engineer cells, which are then combined with Lab-Grown Leather’s bio-based material, Elemental-X, that has no additives, making it feel more genuine. The scientists let these cells build their own structure naturally, similar to how traditional leather comes from its source organisms in the wild.

So, why focus on dinosaurs? The team highlights their remarkable resilience to harsh environments, drawing a parallel to the challenges humans will encounter due to climate change in the years ahead. They aspire to pave the way for a future where luxury materials are not only sustainable and ethically sourced but also maintain the high quality, durability, and reparability of traditional leather. With its innovative design approach, this material will be truly one-of-a-kind.

“This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials,” says Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company. “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.”

This groundbreaking initiative will yield the inaugural instance of leather cultivated from a long-extinct prehistoric species. The team intends to debut this exquisite material in luxury accessories, including handbags, with the first commercial offering anticipated by year’s end. Following successful implementation, they aim to extend its application to other prestigious sectors, such as the automotive industry.

Source: https://www.vml.com/news/vml-lab-grown-leather-ltd-and-the-organoid-company-announce-partnership-to-create-worlds-first-t-rex-leather