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| 7 May 2026 | |
| Written by Blake Myer | |
| Member Wins |
| Jason Puracal |
National Laboratory of the Rockies
April 16, 2026 | By Justin Daugherty and Caitlin McDermott-Murphy
It all started with the farmers.
“We wanted to build something that could enhance crop value,” said Jason Puracal, CEO of the materials startup Zila BioWorks.
So, they did.
They built a new kind of material using hemp seed oil, a byproduct of the not-so-common but soil-friendly crop hemp. Farmers grow hemp for its fibrous stalk (used to make rope and other goods), seeds (used in food, paints, and more), and flower. Now, they could also sell hemp seed oil to Zila BioWorks to make a new type of bioplastic—or plant-based plastic—for use in a range of products, including snowboards, concrete floor coatings, and energy infrastructure.
