Modern Synthesis

Modern Synthesis is a British startup developing bio-based nanocellulose materials made from agricultural waste fermented with sugar and bacteria. The startup uses a proprietary “microbial weaving” process that mimics the traditional “warp-and-weft” weaving technique. The company uses the “K.rhaeticus” cellulose-producing bacteria species along with robotics, which allows the company to design pieces of material in any shape or structure.The company reportedly spent 10 years developing its microbial weaving technology and claims that its material is lightweight and 100% biodegradable. As of June 2024, the startup had not commercialized its product and is reported to be working on several projects which it hopes to share details of soon.

Key customers and Partnerships

The company has also collaborated with bioengineer Marcus Walker to research the role of synthetic biology in the fashion industry in a project called “This is GMO.” Marcus Walker had developed a self-dyeing bacteria as part of his PhD program that can produce both cellulose and the natural pigment melanin. Combining this bacteria with the company’s microbial weaving tech, Modern Synthesis was able to produce a sneaker with the upper material woven as well as colored by a single genetically modified organism (GMO). This project was also supported by The Mills Fabrica, Hong Kong Innospace, and Tom Ellis lab at the Imperial College, London.

In November 2023, Modern Synthesis partnered with Ganni to unveil a Bou Bag made from a bacteria derived leather alternative at the London Design Festival 2023. Th companies were aiming to make the bag commercially available by early-2025.

Funding and Financials

In June 2022, the company raised USD 4.1 million in seed funding to support product development, construction of its pilot facility (was planned for Q3 2022), and expansion of its team.