Biotech is a cornerstone of innovation in materials science. Companies are seeking more sustainable alternatives to essential natural materials, aiming to minimise harm to both people and the planet. A prime example is the search for sustainable alternatives to rubber. It’s production contributes to deforestation in Southeast Asia and Africa. 

Used in car tyres, it wears down, flaking off into tiny airborne or roadside particles. These tyre emissions can cause damage to people’s health as well as air quality, soil, and water. As a result, tyre companies are exploring various sustainable materials, including recycled rubber, dandelion-derived rubber, and bio-based components, to comply with carbon regulations.

But a French company baCta has developed a sustainable alternative to traditional rubber production, through the production of biosynthetic natural rubber.

It’s the brainchild of Mathieu Nohet, CEO and co-founder of baCta. 

I’ve met a lot of biohackers over the years, and if there’s one person that truly personifies the mindset, it’s Nohet. 

Nohet is an engineer with a background in mathematics and computer science. He began his career as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, working for a cryptocurrency company. 

The development of data analytics and business analytics tool for public administrations, Manty followed in 2017, and was successfully sold in 2022 to Relyens.  

With a desire to embark on a new entrepreneurial endeavour, Nohet put his efforts into sustainability. He identified the potential of raw materials and energy sectors, drawing inspiration from the advancements in synthetic biology, particularly RNA vaccine technology which he compared to the early stages of computer science.

Intrigued by the possibility of leveraging synthetic biology to improve raw material supplies, Mathieu underwent self-directed training in biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry. He supplemented this with online graduate-level courses. 

His research into various raw materials led him to focus on rubber, driven by its significant market size and the absence of a viable organic alternative. 

He detailed:

“Scientifically we understand what’s happening inside the plant cell, and so it seemed like the timing was right to transfer that into an industrial production inside a microbe.

So, I did hypothesis tests and experiments, but I didn’t have a lab then. It’s hard to do tests in your living room.”

He started looking for a lab, and attracted the attention of world-renowned scientist Pr Ariel Lindner (INSERM, Université Paris Cité). Encouraged, he joined forces with fellow baCta founders, Marie Rouquette, COO; and Selcuk Aslan, CSO.

The company produces carbon-negative superior quality rubber with an ultra-low impurity content, making it hypoallergenic and ideal for various applications. It has developed a carbon-negative manufacturing process that could reduce carbon emissions by up to 151 per cent.

How does it all work? 

Here’s my attempt at a plain(er) language explanation. baCta produces natural rubber using genetically engineered bacteria, specifically Escherichia coli (E. coli).

It involves a multistep process: 

1. Feeding the Bacteria: The bacteria are fed with renewable carbon sources, such as glucose ( although the company is also exploring the use of acetate and in the future carbon captured directly from the atmosphere). 
2. Bacterial Transformation: Inside the bacteria, special enzymes designed by AI convert the carbon into a substance called isoprene.
3. Polymerisation: Using a unique technology, the bacteria’s organelles (tiny parts within the cell) combine the isoprene molecules to form rubber. This is really the secret sauce in BaCta’s tech —
4. Extraction and Purification: The final step involves extracting and purifying the high-quality rubber, which is carbon-negative, meaning it helps reduce carbon emissions.

Rubber is a material sector ripe for disruption. In the US, biotech Genencor has been engineering bacteria that make isoprene – the chemical used to make tyre rubber – from sugars derived from biomass. Polish chemical company Synthos also manufactures and supplies synthetic rubber, among other materials.  

A drop-in replacement for conventional rubber

baCta’s biotech stands out due to its proprietary technology that creates synthetic organelles within the bacteria, mimicking the environment found in rubber trees. Nohet describes this as “Docker for the cell” and a “scientific breakthrough” in that it produces high-quality natural rubber in vitro, enabling the production of high-quality natural rubber within the bacterial cell.

While the company is still in the early stages, it aims to deploy a “drop-in replacement” by selling raw materials to rubber-consuming industries and is testing molding to determine what can fit into a company’s existing supply chain. 

Initially baCta is focused on using its rubber in high-value products such as luxury watches and shoes. It plans to extend to rubber used in industrial and automotive components, such as vibration and Shock Absorption in machines, and, much later, tyre manufacturing. 

The company has attracted significant interest from the scientific community, including advisors  Pr Pablo Nikel (DTU University) and Dr Steffen Lindner-Mehlich (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin), along with experienced biotech founders, such as Dan Windmaier, founder of Bolt Threads. It also plans to biohack isoprenoids, which, in addition to rubber, are used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and biofuel.  

Lead image: Canva.