Search anything

Close search
DesignUnited.Expo Changing Gears

3D Artefacts in Biofabrication

Designing custom bioreactors to integrate textile frameworks and grow, shape, and process 3D SCOBY-textile artifacts.

Custom lo-fi bioreactor to experiment with

With custom build bioreactors this project explores the potential of producing sustainable materials and artifacts in collaboration with living microorganisms in SCOBY. Various material samples are created in which textile fabrication techniques and SCOBY are integrated during the growing process.

This project investigates the potential of SCOBY to grow 3D products using textile scaffoldings

Bacterial Cellulose is gaining significant attention as a promising bio-fabricated material. However, its natural morphology is often perceived as a limitation, hindering its functional applications. This project investigates the potential of Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) to grow into alternative morphologies, specifically focusing on 3D bacterial cellulose and textile composite artifacts for home use.

The project employs a material-driven approach, utilizing bio-fabrication experiments to control and manipulate SCOBY’s self-assembling and adherence abilities on the textile scaffolding. Various custom-built bioreactors are created to explore new processes and try growing on different textile scaffoldings made using techniques including weaving, knitting, and embroidery. The goal is to develop a new fabrication process involving four stages to facilitate the growth, colouring, post-processing, and drying of the composite designs, otherwise unfeasible without the textile scaffolding system, highlighting the significance of DIY bio fabrication.

(Due to the timeline of my master's program, only the initial prototypes, experiments, and samples will be showcased)

About Taïssia Visser

Taïssia Visser is a sustainable product and material designer. She is currently pursuing her Master of Industrial Design at the Technical University of Eindhoven where she specializes in the development of sustainable materials, digital biofabrication and DIY installations.

One day of cellulose growth

Experiment 1: textile shapes

Dried sample

Grown sample