A team of scientists and designers has unveiled what is being described as the world's first 'dinosaur leather' handbag, created using lab-grown collagen linked to Tyrannosaurus rex fossils.
The project is being showcased as a breakthrough in sustainable material innovation.
The teal-coloured handbag is currently on display at Amsterdam's Art Zoo museum beneath a replica T-rex skeleton until May 11. It is expected to be auctioned thereafter, with a starting price reported to be over $500,000.
The initiative is a collaboration between The Organoid Company, genomic engineering firm Organoid and creative agency VML. Researchers extracted ancient protein fragments from dinosaur remains and inserted them into animal cells to grow collagen. This engineered collagen was then processed into leather.
Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company, said the project involved significant technical challenges. Che Connon of Lab-Grown Leather Ltd described the material as a technological upgrade over conventional leather, beyond just its environmental benefits.
However, the claim has drawn scepticism. Experts argue that collagen found in dinosaur fossils is too degraded to recreate authentic skin and even matching proteins may not replicate the structure of real leather. Mitchell, however, said such criticism is part of scientific progress.