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Indianapolis Star
10-05-2025
- Science
- Indianapolis Star
Scientists are growing T. rex leather in a lab. It could be used to make purses.
The next time you go shopping for a new purse, your choices could go beyond traditional materials such as leather, nylon, cotton and polyester to include … Tyrannosaurus rex skin? Yes, the remnants of the prehistoric predator are being used to create synthetic T. rex leather, which can be turned into accessories including purses. That's the plan for a trio of companies – The Organoid Company, Lab-Grown Leather Ltd., and VML – working on "a high-quality alternative to traditional leather that's cruelty-free and eco-friendly," said the collaborators in an April 25 news release. The goal of a "luxury fashion item," hitting later this year, would be the first example of leather developed from an extinct species, the companies said. "With T-Rex leather we're harnessing the biology of the past to create the luxury materials of the future," said Bas Korsten, global chief creative officer, Innovation & CCO EMEA at VML, the agency behind the 2024 Super Bowl "Mayo Cat" campaign and 2023's Mammoth Meatball, made of lab-grown meat. Cosmos 482: Here's when the Soviet-era spacecraft may return to Earth The team at The Organoid Company, a Netherlands-based biotech, will use fragments of T-Rex collagen protein recovered from fossils to recreate the prehistoric protein and engineer the new DNA into specialized cells for leather production. Another biotech company, the U.K.-based Lab-Grown Leather Ltd., will then use those specialized cells to produce skin, made with the T-Rex collagen protein, which is then tanned to form T-Rex leather. "This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials," said The Organoid Company CEO Thomas Mitchell. T. Rex leather could serve as a more environmentally friendly option to traditional leather and also eliminate "animal cruelty concerns," the companies said. But some detractors consider the project misleading. University of Maryland vertebrate paleontologist Thomas Holtz, Jr. pointed out to Live Science, a science news site, how the lab-created skin won't be authentic because there's no actual T. rex skin or DNA to serve as a basis. "What this company is doing seems to be fantasy," he said. Calling the announcement a "gimmick," Tom Ellis, professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, told NBC News, 'I doubt that our knowledge of dinosaur evolution is good enough to be able to design a collagen gene specifically from T. rex." But researchers have found collagen in an 80-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil and that can be used as a template, they say. The Organoid Company is creating a T-Rex protein by using fragments of the T-Rex collagen protein from fossils, the companies said in a statement to USA TODAY. "An important distinction is that (the companies) are starting with the language of proteins, amino acids, rather than the DNA itself," according to the statement. "This encodes what the 3D structure looks like and from this they can then recreate or 'molecularly resurrect' the DNA which is put into special cell lines for leather production." The result of this reconstruction of ancient protein sequences is T. Rex leather, which is structurally identical to T. rex skin. "A biomaterial inspired by prehistoric biology," Mitchell said. Eventually, T. rex leather could be used beyond handbags and clutches to cover chairs and vehicle seats. "The production of T-Rex leather demonstrates VML's commitment to pioneering new grounds and shaping the future of our industry," Korsten said. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Scientists are growing T. rex leather in a lab. It could be used to make purses.
Scientists are growing T. rex leather in a lab. It could be used to make purses. Scientists say they want to create design durable and sustainable high-end accessories made with artificial dinosaur leather. They got the genetic building blocks from Tyrannosaurus rex fossils. Show Caption Hide Caption Fossilized dinosaur footprints found on boulder An Australian researcher discovered dozens of three-toed dinosaur footprints on a boulder in Callide Basin. The next time you go shopping for a new purse, your choices could go beyond traditional materials such as leather, nylon, cotton and polyester to include … Tyrannosaurus rex skin? Yes, the remnants of the prehistoric predator are being used to create synthetic T. rex leather, which can be turned into accessories including purses. That's the plan for a trio of companies – The Organoid Company, Lab-Grown Leather Ltd., and VML – working on "a high-quality alternative to traditional leather that's cruelty-free and eco-friendly," said the collaborators in an April 25 news release. The goal of a "luxury fashion item," hitting later this year, would be the first example of leather developed from an extinct species, the companies said. "With T-Rex leather we're harnessing the biology of the past to create the luxury materials of the future," said Bas Korsten, global chief creative officer, Innovation & CCO EMEA at VML, the agency behind the 2024 Super Bowl "Mayo Cat" campaign and 2023's Mammoth Meatball, made of lab-grown meat. Cosmos 482: Here's when the Soviet-era spacecraft may return to Earth The team at The Organoid Company, a Netherlands-based biotech, will use fragments of T-Rex collagen protein recovered from fossils to recreate the prehistoric protein and engineer the new DNA into specialized cells for leather production. Another biotech company, the U.K.-based Lab-Grown Leather Ltd., will then use those specialized cells to produce skin, made with the T-Rex collagen protein, which is then tanned to form T-Rex leather. "This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials," said The Organoid Company CEO Thomas Mitchell. T. Rex leather could serve as a more environmentally friendly option to traditional leather and also eliminate "animal cruelty concerns," the companies said. But some detractors consider the project misleading. University of Maryland vertebrate paleontologist Thomas Holtz, Jr. pointed out to Live Science, a science news site, how the lab-created skin won't be authentic because there's no actual T. rex skin or DNA to serve as a basis. "What this company is doing seems to be fantasy," he said. Calling the announcement a "gimmick," Tom Ellis, professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, told NBC News, 'I doubt that our knowledge of dinosaur evolution is good enough to be able to design a collagen gene specifically from T. rex." But researchers have found collagen in an 80-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil and that can be used as a template, they say. The Organoid Company is creating a T-Rex protein by using fragments of the T-Rex collagen protein from fossils, the companies said in a statement to USA TODAY. "An important distinction is that (the companies) are starting with the language of proteins, amino acids, rather than the DNA itself," according to the statement. "This encodes what the 3D structure looks like and from this they can then recreate or 'molecularly resurrect' the DNA which is put into special cell lines for leather production." The result of this reconstruction of ancient protein sequences is T. Rex leather, which is structurally identical to T. rex skin. "A biomaterial inspired by prehistoric biology," Mitchell said. Eventually, T. rex leather could be used beyond handbags and clutches to cover chairs and vehicle seats. "The production of T-Rex leather demonstrates VML's commitment to pioneering new grounds and shaping the future of our industry," Korsten said. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
T-Rex Luxury Bags? Scientists Plan To Use Leather From Dinosaur DNA
Regarded as one of the most fearsome creatures on planet Earth millions of years ago, the 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex (T-Rex) could soon be used to make a fashion statement. In a first-of-its-kind approach to luxury fashion, researchers and bioengineers in the UK are planning to use lab-grown leather from fossilised T-Rex remains to make purses, clutches and totes. Known as the King of the Dinosaurs, T Rex lived 68 million years ago in North America and Asia. Now, using T-Rex collagen as a blueprint, the researchers are hoping to develop the first example of leather, created from an extinct species. 'We're unlocking the potential to engineer leather from prehistoric species, starting with the formidable T-Rex,' Che Connon, professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle University, said in a statement. "The hard bit is making leather from cells, and we've done that. The upstream bit is using existing technologies, which is why we're confident we can do this so quickly.' The joint venture between creative agency VML and biotech companies The Organoid Company and Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. is hoping to produce a luxury fashion item as its flagship commercial product by the end of 2025. "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." While the claims by scientists are audacious, some palaeontologists have called them out for being 'misleading'. "We have NO preserved tyrannosaurid DNA (indeed, not Mesozoic dinosaur DNA sequences), so there are no T-Rex genes,' Thomas Holtz, Jr., a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Maryland, told LiveScience. Notably, DNA starts to decompose and decay as soon as an animal dies. The oldest preserved DNA on record is about two million years old, while the T-Rex went extinct 66 million years ago.
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Purses made from T. rex? This company claims leather made from 66 million-year-old dinosaur DNA is coming
About 66 million years ago, the Tyrannosaurus rex roamed around Earth terrifying nature around it. Now, one of the largest predators ever to live on land can be your next purse. Researchers and bioengineers are working to create the next cruelty-free and sustainable luxury handbag using lab-grown leather from fossilized T. rex remains from the prehistoric creature. Advertisement That's right -— in the year 2025, dinosaurs are Jurass-chic. 'We're unlocking the potential to engineer leather from prehistoric species, starting with the formidable T-Rex,' Che Connon, professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle University, said in a statement. The first-of-its-kind approach to luxury fashion uses T. rex DNA as a groundbreaking high-quality alternative to traditional leather. Advertisement If successful, this would be the first-ever sample of a leather that's sourced from an extinct species — though some experts don't think it's possible. The partnership between creative agency VML, genomic engineering leader The Organoid Company and sustainable biotechnology pioneer Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. would portray how ancient biology can create a next-generation material that will ultimately influence the future of luxury goods. The lab-grown fossilized T. rex collagen will be used as a blueprint to manufacture a material that's structurally identical to traditional leather. It will also be biodegradable and 'innovative and ethically sound.' Unlike naysayers, Connon said it will soon become a reality. Advertisement 'The hard bit is making leather from cells, and we've done that,' Connon told The Post. 'The upstream bit is using existing technologies, which is why we're confident we can do this so quickly.' 6 An AI mock-up of what a handbag made from T. rex leather would look like. VML/SWNS The initial implementation of T. rex leather will focus on accessories with a goal to produce a flagship commercial luxury fashion item by the end of the year. Eventually, once production gets larger, this could open the door to possibilities beyond the fashion industry, such as the automotive sector. Advertisement 'With T-Rex leather we're harnessing the biology of the past to create the luxury materials of the future,' Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer, Innovation & CCO EMEA at VML, said in a statement. 'Part of it is the fact that it's demonstrating that you can start to create new materials that have never been formed before,' Connon said. 'So the same process could be used to create much stronger, for example, or change color or a whole host of things that are feasible but have never been seen before.' 6 T. rex leather infographic explaining how the lab-grown engineering differs from the current leather process. VML In order to create it, synthetic DNA will be used to engineer cells that will then be integrated into an Elemental-X product stream, utilizing a scaffold-free approach that allows the cells to merge in their own natural structure. Connon explained that he and his team spent 15 years in university doing tissue engineering, then three to four years at the company to get to the point of making the skin and the leather. 'This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials,' Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company, commented. '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.' According to VML, the T. rex leather is a cell-grown performance material that is more than just imitation and provides the natural durability, repairability and tactility that's already expected in high-end luxury leather goods. Advertisement 6 The T. rex leather is a cell-grown performance material. TeTe Song – However, not all scientists are digging the revelations. One dinosaur expert told Live Science he thinks the claim of making T. rex leather is 'misleading' and 'what this company is doing seems to be fantasy.' 'We have NO preserved tyrannosaurid DNA (indeed, not Mesozoic dinosaur DNA sequences), so there are no T. rex genes,' Thomas Holtz, Jr., a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Maryland, told the outlet. DNA starts to decay as soon as an animal dies, though some fragments might remain in the environment for a few million years. The oldest preserved DNA on record is about 2 million years old, and the T. rex went extinct 66 million years ago. Advertisement Holtz added that paleontologists have only found T. rex collagen in bone, not skin, which is the basis for leather, and that researchers don't have access to good tyrannosaurid skin samples since it's rarely preserved in fossils. 6 The new approach to luxury fashion uses T. rex DNA as a groundbreaking high-quality alternative to traditional leather. Boonyawadee.K – Some experts are less skeptical, noting that while it may be possible, any chance of getting results soon isn't likely, and when they do, it'll be expensive. The 'gimmick' is at a 'very early stage,' Tom Ellis, professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, told NBC. 'I doubt that our knowledge of dinosaur evolution is good enough to be able to design a collagen gene specifically from T. rex.' Advertisement Ellis added that producing real T. rex leather is 'very far-fetched,' and the properties of any collagen results are likely to be similar to those of a cow or chicken, which means that it would look and feel the same as any other alternative leather. Though the T. rex collagen 'gives them something that is at least unique and can justify a much higher price,' he said. 6 Professor Che Connon explained that the collagen fragments extracted is available from blood vessels or micro-vessels in bone. Newcastle University But Connon rebuked the notion that it's not possible, telling The Post that 'some people have got the wrong end of the stick saying, well, you can't do it. That's not true.' Advertisement 'Some of that seems to be around, there is no T-Rex skin, but leather isn't skin. It's a component of skin,' he explained. 'So that's a bit of confusion there. The technologies there are incredible, but they are very much there. And I think the challenge is, there's a lot to bring people up to speed with.' As he explained, the collagen fragments extracted are available from blood vessels or micro-vessels in bone, and the blood vessels have the same biological makeup as skin. 'It's the structural part of the skin, which forms leather.' 'People aren't aware of all the different technologies or aware that they exist, so putting them together is quite a bit of a mental leap for people,' Connon said. 'But rest assured, these are all things that have been proven.' 6 Eventually, this could open the door to possibilities beyond the fashion industry, such as the automotive sector. Panupong – The researchers also stressed the environmental and ethical consequences of the lab-grown leather as well. Since traditional leather production is a component of extensive deforestation and the tanning process often uses harmful chemicals, this new approach can not only reduce negative environmental impacts but also put an end to animal cruelty concerns. 'Dinosaurs evolved to survive in extreme environments—conditions our planet is once again beginning to face due to accelerated climate change,' the news release also explained.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
World's First 'T. Rex Leather' Is Claimed to Come From Dino DNA. Is This For Real?
A team of biotech startups want to create lab-grown leather based on fossil remnants of the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex. This ambitious project is a collaboration between The Organoid Company, a Netherlands-based genomic engineering startup; UK-based Lab-Grown Leather, a business specializing in 'scaffold-free' biomaterials; and VML, a US marketing agency responsible for the 'mammoth meatball'. This trio of businesses considers lab-grown leather a "more sustainable and ethical future for the luxury materials industry", according to a press release from VML, by avoiding the animal death, deforestation, and chemicals involved in traditional leather manufacturing processes. They hope the T. rex leather in particular will offer the "natural durability, repairability, and the tactility expected in high-end leather goods." But in their announcement – which is all we have to go off, at present – the companies also claim the new material will be "engineered using T. rex DNA", which scientists have yet to extract from any dinosaur fossil. Even within the most well-preserved specimens, DNA doesn't seem to survive much more than a million years or so before it becomes too fragmented and degraded to be sequenced. The oldest DNA fragments on record, extracted from Siberian mammoth molars, are around 1.6 million years old. T. rex went extinct 66 million years ago, so there's no hope of ever recovering its DNA. What the team will actually refer to as a blueprint for this lab-grown leather is fossilized T. rex collagen, and even that has a questionable grounding. Collagen, the most abundant protein in vertebrate bodies, is an important component of all leather, bundled into fibers that give the material its defining features. Type 1 collagen is found throughout vertebrate bodies, from the skin surface to the living core of bone. Soft tissues like these rarely survive the ravages of decomposition and are rare in fossils. A 2007 study claimed to have sequenced seven short peptide fragments of type 1 collagen from a T. rex fossil. However, skeptics later argued the authors mistakenly sequenced ostrich and alligator collagen lurking in the equipment. Over the years, other studies have raised similar concerns about contamination when analyzing T. rex specimens. Nonetheless, it may indeed be possible – albeit unlikely – for type 1 collagen from a T. rex to survive. Some recent evidence suggests that traces of collagen can survive in some fossils for almost 200 million years. If the team have got their hands on bona-fide T. rex collagen, they face further challenges in turning that into a legitimate Cretaceous product. The collagen would need to be in good enough shape for them to reverse-engineer its recipe. Even if the T. rex collagen identified in 2007 was genuine, it was too fragmented for a full recreation. Assuming they do have high quality collagen, the first step is figuring out the amino acids that make up the collagen proteins, and then translating these into the genetic sequences that would have coded for the proteins. If they can get enough of these sequences pieced together, they would then need to verify which of those sequences match up against those of living T. rex relatives (generally, researchers use chickens as the most closely related living relative). Then, those sequences can be inserted into the genome of a 'bioleather cell line' designed by The Organoid Company, and sent to production. "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," claims The Organoid Company CEO, Thomas Mitchell. "We're passionate about pushing the frontiers of synthetic biology… to pioneer sustainable alternatives for the materials of tomorrow." At best, this lab-grown leather will contain some tiny snippets of collagen fibrils that may bear a passing resemblance to that of the T. rex. Does that mean it qualifies as genuine dinosaur leather? Cesi n'est pas une pipe. But perhaps the investments this stunt attracts will at least prevent some of our living creatures from becoming handbags. Scientists 'Tattoo' Tardigrades in Nanotechnology Breakthrough A Strange Phrase Keeps Turning Up in Scientific Papers, But Why? Can We Trust Our Eyes Anymore? The Dark Side of Apple's New AI Clean Up Tool
