Bacterial Dyes
Bacteria dyeing is an eco-friendly dyeing technique for textiles that avoids toxic chemicals and water waste.
Bacteria can be cultured anywhere in the world in sterile laboratories.
For this project, we cultured Janthinobacterium lividum, regularly found in soil. By metabolizing carbon sources such as glycerol and glucose, this bacteria produces violacein, giving rise to a distinctive violet color. We experimented with the dye on various textiles. Each fabric was first dipped into hot agar +1% glycerol solution and then autoclaved. Later, the bacteria was inoculated on the fabric alternating two different techniques: 500µl drop of liquid culture and plate culture directly on the sample. The fabric was then put in an incubator at 25°C in the dark. The results shown are after 1 week.
Project by Cinzia Ferrari, Paula Camiña, Emily Roscoe, Moisés Hernandez, Meiqi Peng, done at Central Saint Martins, during MA Biodesign, January 2020
Cinzia Ferrari
I am a London based, Italian multidisciplinary designer with a focus on materials, systems, and technology. I graduated in Interior Design at Politecnico di Milano and at the moment I'm pursuing a Master’s degree in Biodesign from Central Saint Martins, where I'm delving into the connection between design, biology, and how these disciplines benefit from nurturing each other towards sustainable innovation. I recently won the Beyond Plastic Bronze Award for the Most Innovative Approach with a packaging solution that tackles the problem of single-use plastic pollution.
During the past year, I have been collaborating with living organisms such as algae, mycelium, and bacteria, exploring new ways to form materials in ways that are respectful of the environment. The focus of my design projects is on lightness and efficiency, through extensive research into production and disposal processes, and planning for the full life of a product while exploring the interface of biological sciences to envision new sustainable materials and forms of production for the future.
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