Leather has always been an awkward sidekick to the meat industry. As cultivated meat and alternative proteins aim to reduce animal agriculture, traditional leather supply becomes less aligned with where food systems are heading. That gap is pushing innovation beyond food itself, toward materials that can deliver familiar performance without the ethical and environmental baggage. This is where bio-derived materials quietly start to matter.
When seaweed polymers behave like hide
The patent from Cell Bark Innovation (KR20250166019A) describes an artificial leather made entirely from plant-derived polymers, specifically kappa carrageenan and sodium alginate, both extracted from seaweed. The problem it tackles is clear. Most commercial synthetic leathers rely on polyurethane coatings that feel plasticky, resist biodegradation, and introduce their own environmental costs.
Instead of layering plastics, this method builds a dense, leather-like film through controlled gel formation and crosslinking. A heated water-based solution of carrageenan, alginate, and glycerol is slowly cooled to trigger structural changes in the polymers, then dried into a solid sheet. The key step comes next. Brief immersion in a calcium chloride bath creates ionic crosslinks, tightening the network and improving water resistance.
Visually, it helps to imagine a flexible hydrogel that is gradually locked into place. As moisture leaves, polymer chains bundle together, while calcium ions act like molecular staples. The result is a dense, flexible material with tensile strength and dimensional stability closer to natural leather than most coated fabrics (KR patent application).
Polymer chains of kappa carrageenan and sodium alginate transition from a mixed solution to an ordered, calcium-crosslinked network, illustrating how cooling, drying, and ionic crosslinking lock a flexible hydrogel into a dense, leather-like material (figure from the patent).
Building materials for a post-animal economy
CELLBARK INNOVATION Co., Ltd. is working toward a future where leather no longer depends on animal slaughter. The company’s mission centers on developing bioleather that can match the texture, durability, and performance of animal leather while offering greater consistency and design control.
While CellBark is also exploring longer-term approaches such as cell-engineered leather, this patent reflects a parallel and pragmatic track. It uses food-grade seaweed polymers to create a leather-like material that avoids petrochemical coatings and sidesteps the environmental costs of conventional tanning. Instead of working around the inconsistencies of animal hides, the process is built to produce leather materials whose strength and flexibility can be adjusted depending on how they are meant to be used.
The work is also backed by Korean government commercialization and startup R&D programs, signaling a push not just for lab novelty, but for scalable manufacturing.
The people behind the work
Congratulations to the inventors, Ho Jae Bae and Gyu Min An, for their contribution to the field.
Lab Grown Technologies highlights meaningful innovations shaping the future of cellular agriculture and tissue engineering.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts on LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/lab-grown-technologies/)
About the Author - Kandice Vincent
This article is authored by writer and editor Kandice Vincent, whose work centers on cellular agriculture, food technology, and the future of sustainable food systems. She partners with founders, researchers, and mission-driven companies to communicate emerging innovations with clarity and accessibility. Kandice is passionate about collaborating with others in the field and helping expand public understanding of the technologies shaping the future of food.
This post is based on publicly available information. Lab Grown Technologies is not affiliated with the inventors or organizations mentioned.