Biomaterials and the new frontier of living materials: bacteria

“It all started with biology and nature. Everything we did, everything we had, came from biology,” says Suzanne Lee, CEO of Biofabricate.

Biology enables us to use resources more efficiently — less land, less water, less energy — and, ideally, without harmful chemicals, enabling us to imagine a world in which abundance is no longer linked to exploitation and extraction, avoiding those processes that have generated the current environmental imbalances.  

Within this framework, Suzanne Lee, a leading figure in biodesign (the intersection between biology and design), discusses the fourth industrial revolution, notable for the emergence of new living, cultivated materials. Made from living cells such as bacteria, algae, fungi and yeasts, these materials offer sustainable alternatives to traditional production methods. The design and production of these materials and their application (product, fashion, packaging, architecture...) are created by the efforts of interdisciplinary teams of chemists,  designers, architects and biotechnologists.  

“Both the arts and sciences are activities that seek to discover and communicate truths about the world.” Gunther S. Stent, molecular biologist. 

“I expect that the biggest revolutions in the design industry will come from working together with synthetic biology.” Paola Antonelli, architect, designer, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art.

After exploring the potential for materials based on mycelium and algae, this article deals with materials made through co-design with bacteria. 

Traditionally, in art and architecture, microorganisms have been perceived as a threat, particularly for the preservation and prevention of biodeterioration. Historical figures such as Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur described bacteria as “invasive animals”, and they have been identified as pathogens ever since, in the nineteenth century, science discovered a connection between bacteria and diseases. In recent times, however, bacteria have been rehabilitated within a post-anthropocentric approach, attempting to cope with biodiversity loss and ecosystem health. In fact, an increasing number of designers have begun to explore the use of bacteria in design, with microorganisms treated as active partners in the design process. For example, techniques are being developed that exploit the ability of bacteria to produce natural pigments, allowing fabrics to be colored without using toxic chemicals. Another promising experiment is the integration of microorganisms directly into materials, so that they can repair themselves or adapt to environmental conditions.