Related Post: 3D Printed Metal Space Fabric / High Definition 3D Printing / 3D Printed Aluminum
Studio Lionne van Deursen focuses on material research and product design mainly experimental research, to give insight in the possibilities to materials made of bacterial cellulose.
‘Biotic’ is an ongoing material research to the possibilities of a biologically grown material. In this project microbes are used to grow a biological material which is made of bacterial cellulose. Bacterial cellulose is made using yeast and bacteria in a fermentation process.
During the process bacteria spin nano fibers of cellulose and produce a layer on the surface. When the layer has dried, it becomes a solid material that has comparable properties to leather. The material that the living microorganisms create is biodegradable, strong and has a high flexibility. Each bacterial cellulose sheet has a different translucency and color, as the growing process is unpredictable. This makes each product unique.
Applying new techniques create new materials that can replace conventional materials. It’s not only about sustainable materials, but also about the use of a sustainable production process. After the growing process the studio experimented with different natural plant dyes and dyes made from fruit waste, to see how these dyes can affect the color and texture of the material. This study resulted in a collection of fabrics with different colors, translucency and textures.
