PEI startup turns a marine pest into “nature’s rebar”

Tunicates are commonly known as sea squirts, and they are as annoying as the nickname suggests. The marine invertebrates attach themselves to things – docks, rocks, boats – and compete for food and space with other filter feeders such as mussels, oysters, clams and sponges.

With the ability to tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and salinity, they grow quickly, can reproduce after just eight weeks of life, and release around 2,000 larva a day. This high rate of reproduction leads to tunicate overgrowth, replacing native species and becoming a major threat to biodiversity.

In Prince Edward Island, tunicate overgrowth is abundant. “It’s threatening the livelihoods of most of our local aquaculture community,” says Matthew Dunlop, co-founder and CEO, Tunistrong Technologies Inc. Tunicates were the largest contributing factor to the demise of Nova Scotia’s mussel industry. PEI, which has roughly 80 per cent of Canada’s blue mussel industry market share, could see a similar fate.

But Dunlop and team may have uncovered a solution that not only addresses the biodiversity emergency, but contributes to the success of other industries.

From invasive pest to commercial opportunity

While completing a graduate degree at University of Prince Edward Island, Dunlop worked on a waste valorization project overseen by the school’s department of chemistry and Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE). During this research, he realized that tunicates – specifically tunicate-derived nanocellulose – presented a potential source of sustainable value-added products.

“The most interesting aspect of tunicate nanocellulose is that the cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) contained within it are the largest CNCs found in nature due to its unique biosynthesis,” Dunlop said. He draws an analogy between CNCs and rebar: “While they are one-quarter the density of steel they are actually stronger than steel and have a long and thin rodlike shape,” he explains. The only commodity commercial source of CNCs currently available are extracted from wood pulp, and akin to a two-foot piece of rebar. CNCs extracted from tunicates, however, are comparable to a 20-foot piece of rebar. “In the same way that longer rebar can lead to stronger overall concrete structures, tunicate CNCs can make stronger composite materials.”

Through his research, Dunlop considered commercializing the concept, and met with members of PEI’s mussel industry. He received seed funding to pursue the idea and Tunistrong was incorporated in 2022 with a mission to become the world’s first commodity supplier of tunicate-derived nanocellulose by directly addressing the tunicate invasiveness problem. Dunlop dubbed his tunicate-derived CNCs “Nature’s Rebar,” and it is Tunistrong’s primary product.

Stronger concrete, better coatings: the industrial case for Nature’s Rebar

While the science addresses the issue from a biodiversity perspective, it also addresses challenges being faced in other industries.

“Nature’s Rebar is well positioned to solve existing industry challenges in concrete and mortars,” Dunlop said. Cracking and adhesion, particularly in 3D printed concrete applications, continues to be a challenge, as well the prevention of corrosion and a common concrete issue known as the Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR), which causes swelling, internal pressure and extensive cracking. “The unique chemical and physical properties of Nature’s Rebar improves concrete’s ability to hold and slowly release water during the curing process, its crack-bridging properties, its effects on the pore structure within the concrete matrix, and its ability to attract and sequester certain ions, impacting both corrosion and ASR.”

Tunicate CNCs can also benefit the paints and coatings industry. “There is a need for ingredients that can effectively improve the rheology, texture, cracking resistance, and durability of water-based formulations,” Dunlops explained. “The very long, thin and strong structures of the tiny fibrils in tunicate CNCs provide Nature’s Rebar with the unique ability to improve rheology, bridge and prevent cracking, prevent sagging/drooping, and improve the durability of a wide range of water-based paints and coatings formulations.”

Mitacs supports the team behind the technology

The development of Tunistrong’s science has been supported by Mitacs funding, which has enabled the company to access local post-secondary talent from the University of Prince Edward Island and hire a cross-disciplinary research and development team. “We have grown a team of seven members who work on commercial operations, from process optimization to application development,” Dunlop said.

“Mitacs has allowed us to develop the capacity to conduct product-specific R&D trials with more customers, and in turn, allowed Tunistrong to demonstrate the positive effects of Nature’s Rebar on our customers’ products,” Dunlop explained. “This de-risks the commercial R&D from the customers’ perspective and helps to open the door to new applications for Tunistrong.”

The company’s scientific innovation is turning a waste material into a resource for the betterment of society – “Mitacs’ support is a key part of making that possible,” said Dunlop.

“Mitacs continues to be a key part of our commercial success and a valued resource supporting our development of high-quality personnel. The Mitacs-supported researchers of today are the future employees of tomorrow.” –

Matthew Dunlop, co-founder and CEO, Tunistrong Technologies Inc. 

About Mitacs

Mitacs delivers the return on innovation Canada needs now by connecting big ideas, people, and ambition to turn potential into results. Mitacs co-funds innovation partnerships that get Canada’s businesses and researchers where they need to go.

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A not-for-profit organization founded in 1999, Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.