SCIENTISTS at the Dutch biotech firm KeyGene are developing the dandelion as viable source of rubber, with the latex-rich roots of the flower as material for tyres, adding that the common weed is a potential renewable alternative worth nearly US$100 billion a year.
The experiment is a way to mitigate rubber shortfall, according to KeyGene, citing an analysis that demand worldwide for rubber will outstrip supply by 20% in 2020.
The dandelion project is carried out at KeyGene’s special greenhouse environment. According to R$D company, dandelion’s roots are smaller than ideal for commercial rubber production. The KeyGene scientists have subjected the plant to its phenotyping process. The team hopes to achieve a more useful variety with a fatter root and higher yield, to better meet the demands of industrial processing.
Dutch tyre-maker Apollo Vredestein has also collaborated with KeyGene in developing the dandelion. A prototype tyre has already been produced and will undergo extensive testing over the coming months before initiating production, the company said.
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