Kathrine Barbro Bendixen uses cow intestines to create sculptural lights
Discarded cow intestines are given a new life in the intricate lighting installations of Danish designer Kathrine Barbro Bendixen. More
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Studio Gang clads Chicago high-rise in energy-saving concrete panels
Dezeen promotion: materials developer Rieder has clad the facades of Solstice on the Park, a residential tower in Chicago designed by Studio Gang, in modular concrete panels. More
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Vollebak's plant and algae T-shirt becomes "worm food" in 12 weeks
Tech-based clothing startup Vollebak has launched a T-shirt made entirely from wood pulp and algae, which breaks down in soil or in a composter within three months. More
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Jasmine Linington uses seaweed to make couture clothing
Textile design graduate Jasmine Linington establishes seaweed as a high-end fashion material with her collection of nature-derived couture garments. More
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Bio Iridescent Sequin made from trees responds to growing demand for greener fashion
Designer Elissa Brunato has created the Bio Iridescent Sequin, a shimmering bead made from natural cellulose that is more sustainable than regular plastic sequins. More
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Viking-style seaweed thatch updated into prefab panelling
Traditional Danish seaweed thatching could be updated into a sustainable contemporary building material, according to research by Kathryn Larsen. More
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Scientists develop "greenhouse shields" to grow food on Mars
Researchers at Harvard University have devised a way to terraform Mars by placing sheets of silica aerogel on the planet's surface, which would warm it up to make it suitable for growing plants. More
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Bricks made from loofah and charcoal could promote biodiversity in cities
Plants and insects can thrive on the surface of these Green Charcoal bio-bricks, engineered as an alternative to concrete by researchers at the Indian School of Design and Innovation in Mumbai. More
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Nienke Hoogvliet's Kaumera Kimono is dyed with wastewater
Dutch designer Nienke Hoogvliet used a byproduct from the wastewater treatment process to create the dyed pattern on this kimono, which is intended to be passed down through the generations. More
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Smart chest binder promises to ease pain for trans people
Transgender men and non-binary people have a safer, more comfortable option for chest binding in the form of Breathe, a smart garment designed by Loughborough University student Miles Kilburn. More
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MIT researchers engineer "cyborg" plants for motion-tracking and sending notifications
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's "cyborg botany" researchers have turned plants into sensors and displays, suggesting we use them as a gentle alternative to electronic screens. More
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Shahar Livne makes bio-leather shoes from slaughterhouse waste
Israeli designer Shahar Livne has designed a pair of sneakers with alternative leather inserts made from the wasted fat, bones and blood of animals. More
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Totomoxtle is a material bringing rare corn back from the brink of extinction
Mexican designer Fernando Laposse has developed Totomoxtle, a marquetry material made from the colourful husks of heirloom corn species that restore vital biodiversity. More
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Aivan grows headphones from fungus and yeast
Fungus, yeast-based bioplastic and other materials grown by microbes have been used to make the Korvaa headphones, designed by Finnish studio Aivan in collaboration with scientists. More
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Studio Mumbai's handmade furniture references traditional craftsmanship
Indian architecture firm Studio Mumbai will exhibit 14 furniture and homeware items crafted from a mix of "universal" and more unusual materials, at Maniera gallery in Brussels. More
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University of Stuttgart creates biomimetic pavilions based on sea urchins and beetle wings
The University of Stuttgart has continued its experiments into biomimicry and robotic construction with two pavilions at the Bundesgartenschau horticultural show in Germany. More
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Basse Stittgen gives discarded eggs new life as bioplastic tableware
German designer Basse Stittgen aims to address the issue of global food waste and overconsumption with a series of tableware objects made solely from out-of-date eggs. More
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Snow nanogenerator would allow solar panels to generate energy on wintry days
US researchers have invented a nanogenerator that could one day be added to solar panels to keep them producing energy when covered in snow. More
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Kelly Jazvac presents "beautiful and horrific" plastiglomerate lumps at Milan Triennale
Chunks of "plastiglomerate" found by Canadian artist Kelly Jazvac on a Hawaiian beach form part of this year's Milan Triennale exhibition, illustrating how the anthropocene era is leading to the formation of new man-made minerals. More
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Thermobimetal shutters by Doris Sung self-regulate the temperature of buildings
Buildings could be cooled with zero energy using the Invert shading system, made from a smart material called thermobimetal that changes shape in response to heat. More
