The world’s first book to be bound in ‘leather’ that was never attached to a living animal recently sold for $12,790 (£9,104) on eBay. The book, Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro, was bound in a substrate made by US biotech start-up Geltor, which is developing animal-free methods of making products such as gelatin. 

Geltor makes the ingredients that go into its materials using a fermentation process it describes as “similar to brewing”, and that involves “zero animal inputs”. In the case of the Shapiro book, the company chose to synthesise jellyfish collagen to grow the leather material rather than the more likely option of cow or pig. Other innovations include an ability to 3D print its animal-free gelatin. 

Amazing, eh? The proceeds from the eBay book sale went to plant-based clean eating advocates the Good Food Institute. With the well-publicised surge of interest in all things veganism, new materials like this could eventually find a ready market in the print and bookbinding trade. Fast forward to a future where the specification for fine binding won’t be calf or goatskin, but “160gsm jellyfish”.