A biotech firm creates fake rhino horn to reduce poaching by oversaturing the market
36 replies, posted
[t]http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/8/6/1/2/7/7/i/1/7/6/p-huge/Kruger_22Nov-LR_%2848%29.jpg[/t]
[quote]A San Francisco biotech startup has managed to 3D print fake rhino horns that carry the same genetic fingerprint as the actual horn.[B] It plans to flood Chinese market with these cheap horns to curb poaching.[/B]
Pembient, based in San Francisco[B] uses keratin — a type of fibrous protein — and rhino DNA to produce a dried powder which is then 3D printed to synthetic rhino horns that is genetically and spectrographically similar to original rhino horns.[/B] The company plans to release a beer brewed with the synthetic horn later this year in the Chinese market.
The Chinese and Vietnamese rhino horn craze has caused an unprecedented surge in rhino poaching throughout Africa and Asia bring the animal to the brink of extinction. In South Africa, home to 80 percent of Africa's rhino population, 1,215 rhinos were killed in 2014.
Matthew Markus, CEO of Pembient says his company will sell rhino horns at one-eighth of the price of the original, undercutting the price poachers can get and forcing them out eventually.
[B][I]"We can produce a rhinoceros horn product that is actually more pure than what you can get from a wild animal. There are so many contaminants, pesticides, fallout from Fukishima. Rhino horn in the lab is as pure as that of a rhino of 2,000 years ago."[/I][/B]
However, conservative groups are skeptical about the success of synthetic horn and may actually have harmful long term effects in combating the illicit trade. Susie Ellis, Executive director of International Rhino Foundation says:
[I]"Selling synthetic horn does not reduce the demand for rhino horn [and] could lead to more poaching because it increases the demand for “the real thing.” In addition, production of synthetic horn encourages its purported medicinal value, even though science does not support any medical benefits. "[/I][/quote]
[Source: [url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/biotech-firm-creates-fake-rhino-horn-to-help-save-real-rhinos/article/436325]Digital Journal[/url]]
Is it really fake? It's more of synthetic.
"[I] our [/I] horns are not nuke poisoned"
Nice marketing
[QUOTE=bitches;48014099]"[I] our [/I] horns are not nuke poisoned"
Nice marketing[/QUOTE]"Now, I don't know about our competitors, but our horns? Cyanide, pesticide, and radiation free. Can't speak for the other guys. Just sayin."
[QUOTE=Jad Hinto;48014137]"Now, I don't know about our competitors, but our horns? Cyanide, pesticide, and radiation free. Can't speak for the other guys. Just sayin."[/QUOTE]
Did you know that natural rhino horns come from OUTSIDE? that's where poop is
That's really fucking smart. They should do the same with ivory.
The invisible hand of the free market has saved the rhino
[QUOTE=bitches;48014099]"[I] our [/I] horns are not nuke poisoned"
Nice marketing[/QUOTE]
Always relevant.
[img]https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/free.png[/img]
I'm really interested in seeing how this turns out. So cool to see such varied uses for 3D printing.
[quote]The company plans to release a beer brewed with the synthetic horn later this year in the Chinese market.[/quote]
uh
what
[QUOTE=Agent Fedora;48014580]uh
what[/QUOTE]
Rhino horn is put into beer because gullible rich people in china think it "increases virility".
[QUOTE=Agent Fedora;48014580]uh
what[/QUOTE]
one of the reasons rhino horn is so popular is because brain dead chinese people think it cures cancer and just about every other deadly ailment.
I can't wait to try rhino beer
If someone believes that rhino horns have some kind of supernatural power, then why would he believe the artifical one has the same effect? It sure as shit impresses us but it's not going to convince the average buyer.
[QUOTE=Kecske;48014819]If someone believes that rhino horns have some kind of supernatural power, then why would he believe the artifical one has the same effect? It sure as shit impresses us but it's not going to convince the average buyer.[/QUOTE]
I think the point is to flood the market with this stuff by marketing it as the real stuff. Since the fake rhino horn is indistinguishable from the real one, the real product becomes uncompetitive because it will retail for a far higher price.
Lower*
EDIT: Why the dumbs? Wouldn't flooding the supply of rhino horn products lower the price of them, thereby making poachers get smaller and smaller returns on authentic rhino horn products until they cannot economically continue to sell real rhino horn products?
I wonder how much would it be to buy a fake rhino horn.
[QUOTE=UnknownDude;48014293]That's really fucking smart. They should do the same with ivory.[/QUOTE]
I kind of wonder how there's not a resin that carves like ivory yet.
[QUOTE=kylejburke;48014629]Rhino horn is put into beer because gullible rich people in china think it "increases virility".[/QUOTE]
Ingesting large horns gives you a large horn
Duh, common sense
I'm all for culture, but holy fuck Asia. You won't live longer or get a bigger dick by ingesting rare species. The ignorance is astounding.
Watch as genuine horns double in price.
[QUOTE=Dr.C;48014322]The invisible hand of the free market has saved the rhino[/QUOTE]
dont know why, but this statement is being massively overlooked here.
It has reason to some degree, if not at all.
[QUOTE=Matthew0505;48016402]They're made to be indistinguishable from genuine horns.[/QUOTE]
Excellent Excellent, now they will have heads attached to them.
pls do ivory
[QUOTE=Matthew0505;48016402]They're made to be indistinguishable from genuine horns.[/QUOTE]
Sell fake horns at high price, claim its genuine, get profit?
[QUOTE=Faunze;48015995]Watch as genuine horns double in price.[/QUOTE]
It's china, every single one will be marketed as genuine regardless of if it is or not.
I've seen rhino horns at flea-markets before, they're not my type of souvenir. I bought an alligator head once though.
I like my products genuine, I'd rather have my 4 inch authentic Megalodon tooth over an 8 inch plastic one.