The lead image is by Suzanne Lee ([watch her TED talk](https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_lee_grow_your_own_clothes)) * **biomaterial** means a regenerative material created by living organisms, as contrasted with materials that must be mined or extracted, or require high energy inputs from fossil fuels * **kombucha** is a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast * **kombucha leather** is the dried form of the thickened layer that forms over fermenting liquid kombucha ## Design goals * grow microbial leather that can be sewn or moulded in ways analogous to leather, parchment or homemade paper * improve our production techniques to gain greater control over the attributes of the final material * test enhancements of the microbial leather such as coloring or waterproofing ## Project background Artists and designers are exploring the potential of microbial leather as a sustainable alternative to the ethically and environmentally problematic use of animal-sourced leather. [Parsons Sustainable Systems](https://courses.newschool.edu/courses/PUFY1100) is helping to advance this research. ## Questions Questions can be either frequently asked questions, or "next step" challenges we're looking to solve. [questions:kombucha-leather] ## Activities Activities show how to use this project, step by step. [activities:kombucha-leather] ...
| Author | Comment | Last activity | Moderation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| derin-guven | "how much milliliters or liters did u use oil and how much gram did u use beeswax for leather ? " | Read more » | about 5 years ago | |||
| melikli_a | " I have also been treating my leather samples with a. Mixture of beeswax, parrafin and olive oil. This seems to create a more supple product but..." | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| liz | "Wow very interesting. Interested to hear this report back! " | Read more » | over 6 years ago | |||
| michalby | "I used sodium perchlorate (bleach) to clean schott funnel (filtration funnel) from tea tannins residue (in a plant biochemistry class). I'll try wi..." | Read more » | over 6 years ago | |||
| liz | "I heard from Oliver that "the more acidic the tea, the better" -- and that the lowest cost teas like Lipton that are available at any bodega and ar..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| liz | "It appears that kombucha leather can be laser cut! The material in this BioSkirt is grown, dried, laser-cut and sewn. It can be dyed either before..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| liz | "I heard from Oliver Kellhammer that kombucha leather gets its rich brown color from the tannins in the tea that it grows in. The question about wha..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago | |||
| Bronwen | "The brand of tea isn't important, but Kombucha is nearly always made using one of the many kinds of teas or blends derived from camellia sinensis: ..." | Read more » | almost 7 years ago |