ThinkLAB, the consulting division of Material ConneXion (MCX), has released the second installation of Material Revolution titled Grown Materials. Dedicated specifically to the biological advancements being made in the world of materials and manufacturing, Grown Materials brings together many disparate areas of work, including bacterial plastics, new biopolymers, and the great, yet simple solutions that can be provided by natural materials.
"Grown" is defined as any raw material, product, technology and/or process that is based upon natural growing cycles in the plan, animal, fungal and bacterial kingdoms. In order to provide usable insight and perspective on this quickly evolving industry, Material ConneXion's award-winning consulting team has curated this particular report to serve as a digestible, enjoyable and insightful resource to understand the world around us, and the world being crafted from it.
"The cultivation, harvesting and effective use of grown materials has been a hallmark of human civilization for the last 12 millennia, yet it has never been more important to the future of our species. Beyond the necessary production of food, growing things has the potential to solve many of our 21st century challenges, from construction to energy harvesting to clothing and consumer products," commented Dr. Andrew H. Dent, VP Library and Research at Material ConneXion. "This report is an essential guide to this old yet new industrial revolution, providing an excellent introduction as well as a comprehensive view of the current innovations in this field."
The report is broken into topics or material categories that are of current interest within the broader topic of grown materials; the categories are arranged in a macro to micro scale, beginning with those materials most often used in their primary form and progressing through to grown materials requiring a more intensive extraction or growth period. Examples include everything from wood to nanocellulose, and everything in between.