Multifunctional bacterial composite
Bio-Fabrication is a collection of multimaterial composites made by bacteria. Recognizing that bacteria can be utilized to fabricate materials with different properties, design firm the Living seeks to combine multiple properties—such as flexibility and rigidity, transparency and opacity—into single composite swatches of material akin to structural textiles. The two-step process begins with the development of new synthetic bacteria strains that produce materials with three different properties: rigidity, flexibility, and intricate patterning. Next, the designers employ the bacteria to grow composite sheets out of sugar. The novel biopolymer textiles exhibit both strength and transparency and are more environmentally friendly than petroleum-derived plastics.
Contact: The Living, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
For more information, see Transmaterial Next: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine Our Future
