Material of yarn from fermented bacteria

From the idea of finding new materials to replace cotton and silk, Gary Cass, a University of Western Australia laboratory technician, invented a fermented fabric that could help the wearer stand out from the crowd. wine or beer - the main ingredient of the yarn.

Gary's invention is a work experience in a vineyard, based on the process of wine fermentation into vinegar. When alcohol is turned into vinegar on the face often has a thin film. This membrane is a cellulose, a byproduct of aceobacter bacteria in the process of turning wine into vinegar.

For fermentation of yarn, Cass and his colleagues used cellulose obtained from vinegar culture. At the ' design ' stage of the dress, they spread the ' plate ' of cellulose on the mannequin and proceeded to create the pattern. When completed, the dummy will be deflated so that the clothes can be removed intact. 'We did not use sewing machines or any other tools. It's the bacteria that have put the cellulose fibers together, " Cass said. According to him, all types of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, can be used to ferment fabrics.

The disadvantage of this fabric is to keep wet because if it is dry , the fabric is not very thin tissue paper so it is easy to tear due to very short cellulose fiber. Cass said he would join hands with a chemical expert to spin long cellulosic fibers such as canvas to create a wearable outfit.

The costume of the mannequin in the picture is made from wine, designed in a prehistoric style. (Photo: Micro'be project)

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