Clothes made from bacteria

From tea, sugar and bacteria, a British designer created very handy and fashionable outfits.

Suzanne Lee, a lecturer at the University of London Fine Arts , said the first step in creating a shirt is . making tea, not a warm one, but 30 liters at a time. When the tea is still hot, put in a few kilograms of sugar, stir it to dissolve it and pour it into a bathtub.

Wait until the tea is nearly cooled (below 30 ⁰ C), then ferment bacteria and acetic acid. Put the bath on a warm carpet to keep the tea inside always at the optimum temperature for the bacteria to grow.

The costumes are made from bacteria.

After 2-3 weeks, the bacteria bind the pure cellulose nanofibers in sugar tea, forming a 3cm thick film on the tub surface. Take it out, wash with cold water with a little soap, then dry on a wooden board for the water to evaporate (this material originally contains 90% water). Suzanne Lee obtained a thin, light 'fabric', which could be like transparent paper, or soft leather. This fabric can cut sewing in the usual way to create outfits of various sizes and styles.

In addition, Suzanne Lee uses blueberry, beetroot or other natural colored plants to dye and paint decorative patterns on the shirt.

According to Suzanne Lee, the method of making fabrics with bacteria is very economical, because it is possible to utilize sugary waste water sources from production facilities or by-products from the processing of agricultural products to feed bacteria. Moreover, when old clothes or fads can biodegrade, no waste is generated.

The only problem of this fabric is that it absorbs moisture very strongly and dissolves in water, so it is difficult to wear out when it rains. However, Suzanne Lee said, she is working with some scientists to solve.

The idea of ​​using biological materials from bacteria is very responsive by researchers. In Australia, a scientist is experimenting with this method to create building materials similar to cement. In the UK, Damian Palin (Royal College of Fine Arts) uses bacteria to create furniture. In Sweden, a medical expert has successfully built blood vessels from cellulose according to Suzanne Lee's method.