Growing Whole Bacterial Cellulose Garments with Membranes and Industrial Robotics

This research explores the aesthetic and environmental potentials of growing whole bacterial cellulose (BC) garments with membranes and robotics. The experiments were conducted with Komagataeibacter Xylinus, an aerobic microorganism metabolising oxygen and sugar to bacterial nanocellulose threads. On a visible hierarchy, these nanocellulose threads form a homogenous cellulose pellicle at the edge of nutrition liquid and oxygen. Using air-permeable membranes allows us to shape the nutrition liquid oxygen border and direct the cellulose pellicle growth three-dimensionally. In one of our small-scale experiments, we grew a trouser-shaped object within ten days of incubation. Based on these preliminary results, we started experimenting with robotic BC growth setups to program garment features as, for example, thickness, pattern, and buttonholes, locally and gradually. As of today, growing whole bacterial cellulose garments still bears limitations regarding costs, clean room standards and scalability. Nevertheless, mastering those challenges could offer fashion segments an option to cut down the fashion production chain, enable three-dimensional parametric garment designs and lead to more sustainable and individualised garment production.