Mi Terro is a venture-backed synthetic biology and advanced material company that engineers biomass waste into hydrophilic biopolymers to end microplastic through precision fermentation – this is a first-of-its-kind approach.We are excited to see such a significant leap forward in our ability to manipulate nature’s most diverse and abundant building blocks.
Mi Terro uses a selection of biopolymers and natural fibers with the aim to maximize the use of side streams, second generation (non-food feedstock) and certified biomasses.
We are not turning agricultural waste into beverage or snack like other companies. Instead, we use A.I. to re-engineer biopolymers from low-value wastes to replace single-use microplastic and petrochemical textile fiber while giving additional incomes to farmers all around the world.
Unlike current alternatives to microplastics that focus on hydrophobic polymers, Mi Terro’s technology is mainly targets hydrophilic polymer- PVA/PVOH. Our solution does not rely on chemical cross-linking for their performance, this enables them to decompose quickly and completely in the natural environment. Our polymer is USDA Bio-based Certified, will be 20-40% cheaper than other bio-based and fossil-based feedstocks at scale, emits 38% less CO2 than PVA/PVOH, is home compostable, is ocean degradable, is printable, is heat sealable, and has excellent oxygen barrier.
Applications of our polymer include dishwasher & laundry detergent pod, agro-chemical film, mulch film, toilet block, laundry bag, seed tape, dye film, textile resizing agent, dry food packaging, paper binder and coating, and contact lens.
Packet products help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through product compaction and by enabling cold-water washing, reducing plastic packaging waste, and helping enable refill concepts for products like hand soap and household cleaners
In phase 1 of our development, our researchers successfully extracted and modified the peptide bond structures found on protein in agricultural waste. Because all proteins are made of polypeptide chains, under the right conditions we can cause proteins to self-assemble just like spider silk and form strong biomaterials. Proteins have a propensity for molecular self-organization and self-assembly, and plant proteins are abundant and can be sourced sustainably as by-products of the food industry.
There are some advantages of proteins, such as relative abundance, good film-forming ability, high nutritional value, and so on, which make proteins be used extensively for preparing biodegradable films. Compared to polysaccharides and lipids, protein-based polymers are the most useful, because of the excellent gas barrier properties. Besides, the mechanical properties of protein-based films are also better than those of polysaccharide-based and lipid-based films.
In phase 2 of our development, we are designing bacteria that can intake low-value inedible biomass wastes (such as cellulose and lignin) and plastic waste, and create high-value hydrophilic biopolymers through precision fermentation. We use Advanced Cell Factory Engineering and Precision Fermentation to recreate and transfer the complex chemistries in Nature into efficient cell factories that produce food ingredients, biomaterials, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
We utilize data- and insight-driven design with a universal “chassis” to create customized cell factories that make a wide array of products. Our focus on quantitative cellular characterization, fundamental biochemical understanding, and machine learning allows us to turn cell factory design and engineering into a reproducible and predictable process.
