Development of a sustainable leather alternative prototype with the same look, feel and performance as real leather.

皮革行业是导致全球变暖的主要因素之一。皮革的生产损害了动物、环境和制造皮革的工人。牧场和农作物所需的土地上的树木被砍伐，导致森林砍伐。事实上，亚马逊雨林的70%已经被砍伐，造成数百万物种的栖息地丧失，消除了地球的树冠，并推动了气候变化。人们普遍误解动物材料只是食品工业的副产品。动物被专门杀死以制造皮革材料。根据美国环境保护局的说法，牲畜污染是对我们的水道的最大威胁。制革需要大量的能源和危险的化学物质，其废物被认为是危险的。此外，暴露在这些有毒化学物质中的人患癌症的可能性要高出30%-50%。在这个项目中，复制生物材料将利用工程生物学和材料科学方面的创新来建立一种可持续的皮革材料，这种材料完全不含动物，不需要经过制革和染色就能变色。

The leather industry is one of the major contributors to global warming. The production of leather hurts animals, the environment, and the workers who manufacture it.Land needed for pasture and crops are cleared of trees, causing deforestation. In fact, 70% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared causing habitat loss for millions of species, eliminating the Earth's tree canopy, and driving climate change.It is a common misconception that animal-based materials are simply by-products from the food industry. Animals are killed specifically to create leather materials.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, livestock pollution is the greatest threat to our waterways. Tanning requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals, and its waste is considered hazardous. Furthermore, people exposed to these toxic chemicals have a 30-50% higher probability of developing cancer.In this project, Replica Biomaterials will utilise innovation in engineering biology and material science to build a sustainable leatherlike material that is entirely animal-free and that acquires colour without undergoing tanning and dyeing.