We empower a more sustainable
coexistence of people and nature.
Bacterial Cellulose is our way.
Our solution
BACTERIAL CELLULOSE
At Bioniks, we make bacteria cellulose-based
biomaterials that are developed considering their full life cycle.
Obtained from the waste of kombucha production, the SCOBY is our primary source of bacterial cellulose. Tree-cutting, water-absorbing, and soil-consuming plant-derived cellulose is not the only way of producing cellulose. Additionally, bacterial cellulose’s performances have nothing to envy to more standard and widely employed plant-derived cellulose.
Bacterial cellulose is an exceptionally versatile natural biomaterial: it is extracellular and it is intrinsically pure, unlike other biopolymers that require extraction and purification. Its fibers are 100 times thinner than plant-derived cellulose and exist in a highly porous three-dimensional network that is highly biocompatible.
photo credits: Emilia Kmann
Field of application
ONE PRODUCT, MULTIPLE APPLICATION
Based on the properties of bacterial nanocellulose, including its high purity, high degree of crystallinity, high density, good shape retention, high water-binding capacity, and higher surface area as compared to native cellulose, BNC may have applications in a variety of contexts, such as the textile industry, nonwoven cloth, paper, packaging, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, waste treatment, agriculture.
Bacterial Cellulose
OUR ROADMAP
Validation of the problem /
Definition of the Solution
Marketing Validation
April 2022
Bioniks is established
Prototype & tests
Adjustment of product and production process
September 2022
R&D Partnership
April 2023
Proof of Concept
September 2023
Minimum Viable Product
Our research agenda
TOWARD LIVING MATERIALS
Our research agenda aims at investigating the employment of bacterial cellulose as a building block for biomaterials to widen the horizons of the study of new engineered living materials.
We will conduct research on material synthesis, in which living cells are incorporated into the non-living matter to augment it with programmable, life-like capabilities. At Bioniks we integrate synthetic biology tools into material research, delivering a whole new generation of high-performance material systems. Our research explores Engineered Living Materials and their future sustainable and advanced property combinations, such as integrated multi-functionality, adaptability, resilience, or evolvability.
Problem
RE-THINK TO MATERIAL’S LIFE CYCLE
Nowadays, materials are among the most tangible evidence of climate-related issues amidst the global environmental crisis. Some of the current industry and individual behaviours are no longer socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Our action is to ferment change, one material at a time.
Limited resources, environmental pollution, and waste management are some of the main challenges we urge to address. We, as part of the natural ecosystem, have the responsibility to prevent and control the impact of our actions for a better world for the coming generation.
Our drivers
CIRCULARITY, OPEN INNOVATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
By learning from nature, our research questions are: how do natural materials work? What is their life cycle?
What are their applications, and how do we enhance them with the use of new technologies?
From this questions, we framed our main drivers, that guide our vision: we are circular by nature, we believe in open innovation, and artificial intelligence is one of our tools.
Circularity is one of our main goals: Bioniks’ products are inspired by nature, where everything has multiple purposes at different stages of its existence.
Our scientific approach relies on open innovation:
we observe and learn freely from nature and other players in the field, as we take new steps forward
in the biomaterial challenge.
Our design and research are supported by artificial intelligence: data supports evidence-driven research that is at the core of our work. We adopt an approach where new technologies mimic the circular processes of nature.
Our products are inspired by nature, where everything has multiple purposes at different stages of its existence.
We observe and learn freely from nature and other players in the field, as we take new steps forward in the biomaterial challenge.
Supported by artificial intelligence, data and computational design methodologies support
evidence-driven research.
We are
PEOPLE
We are a diverse and inclusive team. We promote a wide array of skills to think from different perspectives, reach the objectives that we set, and control the processes.
Founder & CEO
Chief Technical Officer
Head of Innovation&Strategy
Head of Research&Dev.
Technology, Design&Automation
Ettore Ravizza
Alice Ravizza
Alberto Benetti
Martina Bruschi
Giulio Saltini
How we started
AN INTUITION, WHILE BREWING...
It all started with a "forgotten" drink: Legend Kombucha has combined tea, yeast, and bacteria to brew a delicious and natural beverage. As a result of the fermentation process, we discovered the incredible properties of the SCOBY’s waste. This is how we assigned Bioniks a clear mission: rethink bacterial cellulose and how it can impact a wide range of markets.
