Engineered Leather via Cell Culture and Self-Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The leather industry faces environmental concerns and ethical objections due to the use of animal skins, which require significant resources and result in pollution, and synthetic leather lacks the quality and durability of natural leather.
Innovation Solution
Engineered animal skin and leather are produced using cultured collagen-producing cells, eliminating the need for traditional tanning processes and allowing for precise control over thickness and pattern, without hair, blood vessels, or muscle, and can be formed into layers that are biofabricated without a structural scaffold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional animal skin tanning is used, then leather quality and durability are improved, but environmental pollution and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a biomimetic copy of natural leather by culturing animal skin cells (fibroblasts and keratinocytes) in vitro to produce extracellular matrix layers that replicate the structure and properties of natural leather, eliminating the need to slaughter animals and reducing environmental impact while maintaining leather quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the natural self-assembly capability of skin cells to automatically form organized extracellular matrix structures with collagen and other proteins, eliminating the need for complex chemical tanning processes and reducing harmful chemical usage
2Object-generated harmful factors
If synthetic leather is used, then environmental impact is reduced, but quality and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite biological material by co-culturing multiple cell types (fibroblasts and keratinocytes) that naturally produce and organize different extracellular matrix components (collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycans), resulting in a multi-component material that replicates the complexity and superior properties of natural leather while remaining environmentally sustainable
3Shape
If traditional leather production processes are used, then leather texture and appearance are achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent allows skin cells to naturally self-organize and self-assemble into structured extracellular matrix layers with proper texture and appearance through their inherent biological functions, eliminating the need for complex mechanical processing, chemical treatments, and multiple manufacturing steps required in traditional leather production
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the production of commercially viable, durable, and appealing animal skin or leather with reduced environmental impact, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional leather production while maintaining the desired texture and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
cultured collagen-producing cells
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of layers of extracellular matrix, ECM, (e.g., collagen) formed from cultured cells
Implementation Method 3
The layers may be at least partially fused
Data Source
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AI summary
Engineered animal skin, hide, and leather comprising a plurality of layers of collagen formed by cultured animal collagen-producing (e.g., skin) cells. Layers may be formed by elongate multicellular bodies comprising a plurality of cultured animal cells that are adhered and/or cohered to one another; wherein the elongate multicellular bodies are arranged to form a substantially planar layer for use in formation of engineered animal skin, hide, and leather. Further described herein are methods of forming engineered animal skin, hide, and leather utilizing said layers of animal collagen-producing cells.