Materiom, an organization that uses data and AI to support scientists, manufacturers and designers in the development of bio-based materials, has announced the launch of Materiom AI: an innovative chatbot that helps users discover biopolymers, ingredients and additives for sustainable materials development.
The chatbot, powered by Google's Gemini technology, is designed to accelerate the complex process of materials research. The tool is available in beta via the open platform Materiom Commons for anyone involved in designing and developing bio-based solutions.
“We are excited to offer our users the first in a series of AI-driven tools we are developing to accelerate R&D for bio-based materials,” said Jan Botha, CTO of Materiom.
From raw material to performance: insights at every stage
Materiom AI focuses on the early stages of materials development — also known as materials discovery — and provides targeted insights in four areas:
- Ingredients: information on natural polymers, additives, solvents and their associated biomass sources.
- Processing methods: ways to source and process bio-based ingredients.
- Combination options: suggestions for ingredients commonly used together and their performance enhancing effects.
- Degradability: insight into the biodegradation potential of specific ingredients.
“Finding the right ingredients and combinations is often a long and laborious process, with scattered or incomplete data,” says co-CEO Liz Corbin. “With Materiom AI, we want to remove some of that friction.”
Access to 30 million open-access scientific documents
The chatbot answers practical questions such as: Which bio-based ingredients are available from waste streams? How do I extract pectin from fruit peels? What improves the water barrier properties of chitin? Depending on the question, the system retrieves relevant literature and generates a clear answer based on scientific insights.
“In addition to providing targeted guidance, it is essentially a gateway to 30 million open-access scientific documents,” Botha adds.
Open platform with a growing community
Materiom AI is fully integrated into the Materiom Commons platform, an open-access database and community platform with over 18.000 users worldwide. Here, users can:
- Explore materials and ingredients
- Upload and analyze your own recipes
- Compare materials based on performance
- Collaborate with other designers and researchers
The development of the chatbot was made possible by a grant from Google.org in April 2024. The tool specifically focuses on lowering R&D barriers for startups and researchers working on sustainable alternatives to plastic, textiles and packaging materials.
Want to try it yourself?
The beta version of Materiom AI is freely accessible via registration at Fooderiom Commons platformThe organization invites users to provide feedback and thus contribute to the further development of the tool.
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