The science fiction scene in French director Luc Besson’s masterpiece “The Fifth Element” released in 1997 actually doesn’t seem that far away now – in this movie, humans in the future can use machines to directly produce human bodies, like weaving. Repair damaged tissue like a sweater.
Although “weaving” skin has not yet been fully realized, growing your own clothes called “second skin” has become a reality. The bio-fashion project BioCoutURe, a collaboration between fashion designer Suzanne Lee and two biochemists Paul Freemont and Alexander BismarCK, has so far used microorganisms to grow several styles of fashion.
In 2010, Lee successfully grew fiber materials in tea water for the first time. The formula is to use sugary green tea water as a culture medium, add mixed yeast, and cultivate some or certain bacteria. After 2 to 4 weeks, something similar to cloth will grow in the tea.
After drying, the overlapping material edges will naturally join together, so this bio-clothing technology even eliminates the need for traditional stitching. During the garment making process, different patterns and shapes can also be embedded in the material as needed. When all the water evaporates, the garment can have a texture similar to paper or leather, depending on the formula. Its surface is covered with a medium as tight as papyrus, which also helps color it with natural plant dyes—which, under the action of body heat, makes it feel softer and more comfortable.
Ten years ago, in preparation for a book about the future of fashion, Lee, then 34, interviewed a biologist and materials scientist, which led her to discover that it was feasible to use bacteria and other microorganisms to generate textile fiber materials. “Although today’s fashion trends are changing faster and faster, the diversity of materials is still lacking, and there are only a handful of fiber types to choose from.” Lee told CBN Weekly.
Bacterial cellulose is only part of the field of microbial materials. Lee is now working with designers and scientists to try to develop new leather, silk and other textile materials.
She has developed waterproof silk materials for sportswear with South African designer Hamish Morrow, and is also researching the production of “spider silk” by printing “living organic matter”. In addition, Lee is cooperating with Modern Meadow, an American bio-leather company that has developed “artificial meat”. The company is trying to implant living cells extracted from animals into the surface layer of BioCouture’s biomaterials to give the effect of different animal furs. Before these materials begin to grow on themselves, their final quality, shape, color, etc. can be controlled autonomously.
As a fashion and textile designer, Lee now often seeks advice from biologists. She believes that biology can bring a lot of imagination to future textile fiber materials. Through different DNA combinations, materials with unprecedented functions and textures can be produced.
One of the great advantages of biodegradation is that it can be programmed in advance. “For example, if you want this piece of clothing to be worn for three months, you can set these elements before these organic fibers grow. This solves the issue of sustainability while mass-producing.”
Traditional clothing manufacturing industry cuts out the required shapes from a large amount of raw materials, and the cut parts are discarded. However, BioCouture’s technology can directly grow the required clothing styles and shapes without causing unnecessary waste of fiber materials. . In addition, taking a leather jacket as an example, biological clothing production only requires 50 liters of water, while traditional manufacturing processes use tens of thousands of liters.
Time Magazine once listed the BioCouture project as one of the 50 best inventions of 2010. Not long ago, the Science Museum in London also held an exhibition specifically for it.
The combination of technology and fashion has become a hot topic of attention in recent years. However, most technological innovations are initiated by technology companies. They can produce excellent products, but to be honest, they may not be beautiful when worn on the body. Lee hopes that the BioCouture project will encourage more designers to participate in the development and design of technical products.
Now, she has optimized the planting technology of certain leather-like materials to make them look more fashionable. For example, a concept design “Scar Tight Top”. Its material resembles skin, with scar-like patterns, inspired by African tribal markings. The bean-dotted pattern is like the shape of the microorganisms that produce this garment. In Lee’s words, it is like a “fiber textile factory.” The ghost inside”. In addition, Lee also designed a “biological denim jacket” that uses biological materials dipped in natural indigo to create a dark blue effect without adding any chemical reagents.
During various experiments, she discovered that biological materials will form dark patterns when exposed to metal elements; if a layer of fermented persimmon dye is applied, the clothes can be made more durable – something she learned from Japan , the dye from fermented persimmons was once used by firefighters there to prevent fires.
However, if BioCouture, which is still in the experimental stage, wants to be commercialized, it must first solve the problem of controllable bacterial growth. Currently, these celluloses are not able to shape themselves, but require manual intervention to shape them.The shaping work can be completed by attaching it to a 3D mold of the human body or through traditional sewing. “The manual repair process will inevitably leave ‘scars’ on the surface of the material. In order not to affect the pattern of the entire garment, it is necessary to have very precise and strict control over the environment for regeneration and repair.” Co-founder and producer of BioCouture Chemist Bismarck told China Business Weekly.
Another problem that worries him is that bacterial cellulose is too absorbent. “They add 98% more weight when exposed to water, which is quite a burden when worn on the body.” One solution is to add a petrochemical-based waterproof nanocoating, but Bismarck refuses to adopt this approach. “I believe there must be technology that allows us to completely maintain the biological properties of this clothing technology.” Now, he is studying how to add a water-repellent technology during the bacterial growth process.
Currently, after BioCouture manufactures garments, the microorganisms used as materials will be killed. But in Lee’s vision, in the future, these microorganisms should be able to continue to survive on the clothes they produce and interact with the human body. In a harmonious microbial community environment, biological fibers can sense changes in human body functions and make decisions. reaction, detect the state of the human body, and even treat certain diseases.
BioCouture currently cooperates with luxury brands, that is, areas that do not require large-scale mass production. Although the cost of microorganisms is very low and they can achieve strong reproduction capabilities by simply feeding them with waste, the costs of laboratory equipment and culture environments are very high.
BioCurious, located in Silicon Valley, may be able to solve Lee’s financial dilemma. This company provides investors and entrepreneurs with low-cost biotechnology equipment and laboratory space. At the same time, the founders themselves are experts in the field of digital biology. The so-called digital biology is technology that can help biologists read and write genetic codes.
“The more I learned about these new solutions, the less I wanted to go back to the world of traditional fashion, where I couldn’t find my value as a designer,” Lee said.
Although the research and development progress is much more difficult than expected, BioCouture seems to have allowed Lee to find her own value, and she does not seem to be satisfied with just growing clothes. “Whether it’s a piece of clothing, a pair of shoes, a chair, or even a house, we can soon grow it.”
Extended reading: https://www.yingjietex.com/product/Fulldull-Nylon-taffeta-Mirror-cire-Fabric.html
Extended reading ：https://www.yingjietex.com/product/800D-800D-Polyester-Oxford -Fabric.html
Extended reading: https://www.brandfabric.net /pu-mirror-light-leather-fabric/
Extended reading: https://www.brandfabric.net/300d120d-polyester-punctate-plain-oxford-fabric/
Extended reading:https://www.alltextile.cn/product/product-55-115.htm
