A few words I never thought I’d say: Why, yes I’d love to wear this bacteria-covered scarf. And yet, here I am coveting a piece of silk dyed with what could be considered the excretion of streptomyces, a non-pathogenic strain of bacteria commonly found in the roots of plants.
The fabric is the work of designer Natsai Audrey Chieza, who is working with John Ward, a professor of synthetic biology at University College in London, to figure out how we might be able to use natural processes (like pigment-producing bacteria) to replace traditional dyeing techniques that are damaging to the environment. More broadly, though, Chieza is investigating what it might look like for designers to work in this burgeoning bio-centric medium.
via Wired
Image: NATSAI AUDREY CHIEZA
