A London biomaterials start-up that grows leather-like and textile materials from bacteria fed on agricultural waste sugars, for fashion brands.
Modern Synthesis grows materials rather than making them in the usual way. In its London lab, bacteria feed on sugars from agricultural waste and weave nanocellulose, a very fine natural fibre, around a scaffold of other natural fibres that a robot lays down. The result is a hybrid material that can be made flexible or thick, and durable or biodegradable. It is meant as an alternative to synthetic fabrics and, potentially, to leather. At the time of the articles we read, the company was supplying sheets of material to fashion brands to try out, with plans to scale up to full production over the next few years.
The company grew from Jen Keane's 2018 master's project at Central Saint Martins in London, called This is Grown, which grew a shoe upper from bacterial nanocellulose. Ms Keane, who is chief executive, had worked on material design at Adidas and trained in biodesign. She worked with scientists from Imperial College London, including Dr Ben Reeve, now chief technology officer. Their stated aim is to cut fashion's emissions and plastic pollution by replacing animal-based and petrochemical-based leathers, textiles and films. In Ms Keane's words, "Biology is the ultimate circular economy", and she has said she wanted "to look at how we can fundamentally rethink how we handle materials".
The company is London-based. A press report from 2022 describes a new lab in London and a pilot facility being built in south-west London. We did not find any other UK sites, and the pages we read gave no address or headcount. We also found nothing newer than 2022 from the company itself, so please check its website for how it looks today and whether the pilot facility is open.
On people and culture, the pages we read name only the two leaders and do not describe the wider team or working life. What they do show is a mix of backgrounds that is unusual even in a start-up: a designer who came from the sportswear industry and a scientist working side by side. Ms Keane has also said that the fashion industry has to cut emissions in its current supply chains in the short term, while new materials are developed, which gives a practical, realistic tone. This reflects the founders' own comments and is not an independent review of the culture.
A materials company that grows its products needs microbiologists and biochemists to look after the bacteria, process and mechanical engineers for the bioreactors and the robotic scaffold, material and textile designers who work with brands, and business and operations staff who handle customers and supply. It is a good example of how design, biology and engineering can sit in one team. If you are choosing between art, design and science, a company like this shows you do not have to pick one. Check its website for current roles.
Website: www.modernsynthesis.com
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