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Barbs
Rachis
Barbule
Calamus
Barb
Barbule
Microfibrils
embedded in an
amorphous protein β-sheet α-helix Random coil
matrix
Tight packing of α-helices and
β-sheets in poly-peptide chains
06/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 13
Feathers are resistant to the majority of
chemical and physical factors
Reduction Oxidation
Novel
Hydrolysis
solvents
Deep eutectic
Ionic liquids
solvents
NMMO
Chemical
Microbial and
Enzymatic Steam
explosion Grinding
Activities
Reduction Oxidation
at VTT
Novel
Hydrolysis
solvents
• Medical
Fertilizers Films Composites
Feed • Food
• Cosmetology
• Agriculture
Flame Micro and Electronic • Textile
retardants nanoparticles applications • Composite
Filaments
•
Feed Fertilizers
Films Composites •
Medical
Food
• Cosmetology
• Agriculture
•
Flame
retardants
Micro and
nanoparticles Electronic
applications •
Textile
Composite
Filaments
06/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 18
Case: Processing feathers with deep
eutectic solvents
• From lab scale to 15 kg scale
• Comprehensive characterisation for
keratin
• Molecular weight
• Secondary structure
• Crystallinity
• SH and SS contents
• Reg. and sol. keratin used to
prepare films
Pezhman
Mohammadi
Research Scientist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_silk
Filamentous fungus
(Trichoderma reesei) Advantages of Trichoderma
Expressed and purified over other expression
Spider silk protein hosts:
Géza Szilvay
Senior Scientist
Exhibited at
• Fiskars Biennale 2019
• Helsinki Design Week 2019
• Green Heroes, Birmingham 2019
• Design Museum Helsinki, 2019
06/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 32
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Reach:
“ The world’s most beautiful head-
phones are here, and they’re made
of fungus.
350 - Fast Company, May 28, 2019
mill.
readers
etc.
1 PLA bioplastic
34
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
The materials
1
1 PLA bioplastic
35
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Polylactic acid (PLA)
3D printed
Lactic acid production in yeast (and lactobacillus)
Conversion of waste streams into bioplastics Work by Ellilä, Toivari, et al.
E.g. Koivuranta et al., 2014
1 PLA bioplastic
37
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Production of biosynthetic spider silk
Purified spider
silk protein
4 g/L
1 PLA bioplastic
39
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Leather-like materials from fungal mycelium
From organic
waste
Fungal
cultivation
Grows as a
filament network
Leather-like
Mycelium Water removal materials
production
+
processing 5 – 6 days
3 years
1 PLA bioplastic
43
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Foam formation with fungal hydrophobins
Hydrophobin Self-assembly
foam at interfaces
1 PLA bioplastic
45
Photo by Thomas Tallqvist, courtesy of Aivan
Composite from mycelium and bacterial
cellulose
Mycelium + BC
BC
Fungal
hyphae
• Fungal mycelium
• Bacterial cellulose from Gluconacetobacter xylinus
• Fire resistant properties
06/04/2020 VTT – beyond the obvious 46
The Korvaa team
Nina Pulkkis, Géza Szilvay, Manuel Arias Barrantes, Merja Penttilä, Thomas Tallqvist, Saku Sysiö,
Pezhman Mohammadi, Anniina Suhonen, Robert Pylkkänen
Funding from Academy of Finland, Sitra Fund, VTT, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, CYSS Center for
Young Synbio Scientists, Sophie von Julin Foundation, Aivan, and Fotoni Film is gratefully acknowledged