T. Rex Leather Purses? Companies Aim to Resurrect Extinct Skin for Fashion
Forget leather, nylon, or cotton. The next luxury handbag you covet might be crafted from something far more…prehistoric. A trio of companies is collaborating to create "T. rex leather," a synthetic material based on fragments of Tyrannosaurus rex collagen, aiming to offer a cruelty-free and eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather. This ambitious project seeks to develop a high-quality material that can be used to produce accessories, including the coveted purse.
The Organoid Company, Lab-Grown Leather Ltd., and VML announced their collaboration in an April 25 news release, outlining their plans to develop a luxury fashion item made from the skin of an extinct species. The unveiling, anticipated later this year, could represent a significant milestone in the world of biomaterials and luxury goods.
"With T-Rex leather, we’re harnessing the biology of the past to create the luxury materials of the future," said Bas Korsten, global chief creative officer, Innovation & CCO EMEA at VML. VML is the creative agency behind viral marketing campaigns like the "Mayo Cat" Super Bowl commercial and the "Mammoth Meatball," a lab-grown meat product that generated considerable buzz in 2023.
The scientific foundation of this project rests on the shoulders of The Organoid Company, a Netherlands-based biotech firm. They will utilize fragments of T-Rex collagen protein recovered from fossils. Collagen, a fibrous protein found in skin, bones, and connective tissues, provides structure and elasticity. By recreating the prehistoric protein sequence from fossil fragments, The Organoid Company intends to engineer new DNA that can be integrated into specialized cells designed for leather production.
The U.K.-based Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. will then take over, utilizing these specialized cells to cultivate skin containing the T-Rex collagen protein. This cultured skin will then undergo tanning, a process that stabilizes the protein structure and transforms it into durable, usable leather.
"This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials," stated Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company, highlighting the innovative approach at the heart of the venture.
The creators envision T. Rex leather as an environmentally responsible alternative to conventional leather, addressing growing concerns about the environmental impact of livestock farming and the ethical considerations surrounding animal welfare. By sidestepping traditional leather production, they hope to eliminate animal cruelty concerns associated with the industry.
However, the project has faced skepticism from some members of the scientific community. Concerns have been raised regarding the authenticity of the material and the scientific feasibility of recreating T. rex skin with limited fossil evidence.
Thomas Holtz, Jr., a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Maryland, expressed his doubts to Live Science, a science news site, stating that the lab-created skin will not be authentic due to the lack of actual T. rex skin or DNA as a foundation. "What this company is doing seems to be fantasy," he commented, questioning the scientific basis of the claim.
Echoing this sentiment, Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, labeled the announcement a "gimmick" in an interview with NBC News. "I doubt that our knowledge of dinosaur evolution is good enough to be able to design a collagen gene specifically from T. rex," Ellis said. He suggested that designing a specific collagen gene solely from existing information of dinosaur evolution is not likely.
Despite the skepticism, the companies involved have addressed these concerns by clarifying the methodology employed in the project. While complete T. rex DNA might not be available, researchers have successfully extracted collagen from an 80-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, which serves as a template.
In a statement to USA TODAY, The Organoid Company emphasized that they are creating a T-Rex protein using fragments of collagen protein from fossils. "An important distinction is that [the companies] are starting with the language of proteins, amino acids, rather than the DNA itself," the statement explained.
According to the statement, the specific arrangement of amino acids encodes the three-dimensional structure of the protein. From this protein structure information, researchers can essentially "molecularly resurrect" the corresponding DNA sequence, which can then be inserted into specialized cell lines for leather production. The end result, they claim, is T. Rex leather with a structure closely resembling that of genuine T. rex skin. It is a biomaterial inspired by the extinct species.
Thomas Mitchell described the outcome as a biomaterial inspired by prehistoric biology, suggesting it’s not a direct copy but rather a creation informed by the study of ancient proteins.
Beyond handbags and clutches, the companies envision expanding the applications of T. rex leather to cover furniture, like chairs, and vehicle seating, potentially transforming various sectors.
Bas Korsten, global chief creative officer, Innovation & CCO EMEA at VML, commented on the broader implications of this initiative. He stated, "The production of T-Rex leather demonstrates VML’s commitment to pioneering new grounds and shaping the future of our industry."
The ambitious project serves as a testament to the convergence of biotechnology, fashion, and marketing, blurring the lines between scientific innovation and consumer desires. Whether it will transform the industry remains to be seen, but one thing is sure: it is already sparking debate.
The quest to resurrect extinct materials, even if only at a molecular level, presents exciting opportunities for developing more sustainable and ethical products. It also highlights the importance of engaging in thoughtful conversations about the authenticity, scientific accuracy, and ethical considerations surrounding such endeavors.
