Mushrooms and orange peel: could biotech clean up the building industry?

A biotech startup is researching building materials that could revolutionise construction. Not only are they biodegradable - some also absorb toxins

Cocoa husks, dried orange peel, ground blue pea flowers: the ingredients read like a tasting menu. They are, in fact, waste products that are used to make Orb - a sustainable building material that is carbon neutral. It's versatile enough to be used for furniture or as a substitute for a wood-based sheet material

Orb is produced by Biohm, a startup founded in 2016 by Ehab Sayed. Sayed grew up in Doha, Qatar, and says his home town is one of the "biggest motivators" for him to inspire change. "Although it is the richest country in the world, it is likely one of the least sustainable and a contributor to the climate crisis," he says. "Growing up in this environment resulted in a resentment towards the impact we are having on our planet."