Bio-materials developer DeakinBio joins our portfolio
Summary
DeakinBio has developed a technology, termed BioSintering\xae, to produce advanced bio-based materials from organic waste such as chickpea broth or algae, along with widely available inorganic powders such as crushed limestone. DeakinBios BioSintering and BioGlazing processes remove the need for firing and glazing, and the ambition is to produce tiles with similar strength and functionality to their conventional equivalents but with a much lower carbon footprint currently calculated at 0.92 kg of CO e emissions per square metre according to an independent Life Cycle Assessment. The inorganic material is currently powdered limestone, although DeakinBio is exploring the use of crushed seashells, a waste product from the seafood industry, as a source of calcium carbonate in the future.The Companys first material, Fabalith\xae, combines calcium carbonate with a binder made from chickpea broth, a waste product from the food industry.DeakinBio was founded in June 2021 by BioSintering\xae and BioGlazing inventor Dr Aled Roberts who is based at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester where he is a Research Fellow. He was lead researcher on the project to create StarCrete\xae a new concrete-like material made from extra-terrestrial dust, potato starch and a pinch of salt, which could one day be used to build infrastructure in space.DeakinBio was founded in June 2021 by BioSintering\xae and BioGlazing inventor Dr Aled Roberts who is based at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester where he is a Research Fellow. It is expected that there will be opportunities for the Company to share expertise with other portfolio companies, including: Alusid, which has developed complementary technology for sustainable building materials using recycled industrial waste, and; Nandi Proteins, which has extensive connections in the food industry and with potential sources of chickpea waste.