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Many fashion enthusiasts strive to stay ahead of emerging trends. However, a novel style concept ventures far back in time – approximately 70 million years – offering the allure of T.Rex leather.
Revolutionary T.Rex Leather Production Using Ancient DNA
A company has revealed intentions to produce the world’s first T.Rex leather, crafted from the genetic material of the prehistoric creature. This groundbreaking initiative could potentially lead to the availability of T.Rex leather handbags, jackets, and even car interiors.
Combining Innovation and Genomic Engineering
A team of scientists will merge ‘creative innovation, genomic engineering and advanced tissue engineering to start producing sustainable luxury materials from prehistoric species’. This project builds upon prior studies that involved extracting a fragment of collagen from a T.Rex fossil discovered in Montana in 1988.
Extracting Collagen from Fossils
The Montana fossil was one of the most complete specimens discovered at the time, containing preserved blood proteins. Now, experts aim to reconstruct a full-length T.Rex collagen sequence artificially.
The Creation Process: From Fossil to Fashion
- Genetically Similar Replication: Once the recreated sequence is genetically similar to the T.Rex ancestors, it will be incorporated into lab-grown leather cells.
- Collagen Network: The cells will then be grown to produce a dense collagen network, similar to the middle layer of skin.
- Sustainable T.Rex Leather: The final product will become T.Rex leather, offering a unique and sustainable material.
Collaboration and Development
This collaboration brings together The Organoid Company, Lab-Grown Leather Ltd, and creative agency VML. The creation will occur at a lab in Newcastle.
Statements from Key Figures
Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company:
‘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.’
Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer at VML:
‘With T.Rex leather we’re harnessing the biology of the past to create the luxury materials of the future… This ground-breaking collaboration represents the intersection of creative innovation and cutting-edge biotechnology.’
Environmental and Ethical Implications
The team emphasizes the significant environmental and ethical advantages of their design. Traditional leather production contributes to deforestation, and some tanning processes involve harmful chemicals, like chromium, leading to pollution. T.Rex leather technology aims to reduce these environmental impacts and eliminate animal cruelty concerns associated with conventional leather production, offering a sustainable leather alternative.
Future Applications and Sustainability
Initial applications will focus on accessories, with the goal of launching a flagship luxury fashion item by the end of 2025.
Expanding Beyond Fashion
Following the proof-of-concept design, increased production will expand into sectors such as the automobile industry, offering sustainable material utilization.
The team confirmed, ‘The material is fully biodegradable while maintaining the durability and repairability of traditional leather, offering a sustainable, cruelty-free, and traceable alternative for future generations of consumers, who demand both innovation and environmental responsibility.’
Professor Che Connon of Lab-Grown Leather:
‘We’re unlocking the potential to engineer leather from prehistoric species, starting with the formidable T.Rex… This venture showcases the power of cell-based technology to create materials that are both innovative and ethically sound.’
Similar Innovations in Prehistoric Biology
In 2023, scientists successfully grew mammoth flesh in a lab to create a prehistoric meatball. The Australian cultivated meat company behind this innovation intends to mix cells from unconventional species to develop new meat varieties.
Mammoth Meatball Creation
Scientists used the DNA sequence from a mammoth muscle protein and filled in gaps with elephant DNA. This sequence was then placed in sheep myoblast stem cells, which replicated to grow 20 billion cells used to grow the mammoth meat.
Despite creating what they hope will be a ‘really tasty’ meat, experts hesitated in consuming it due to concerns about the potential toxicity of the ancient protein.