The lead image by Oliver Kellhammer is of kumbucha leather, a biomaterial.

• 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

• to grow microbial leather that can be sewn or moulded in ways analogous to leather, parchment or homemade paper
• to improve control of the thickness and evenness of the dried material
• to test enhancements of the microbial leather such as coloring or waterproofing

Project background

Artists and designers, including the designer Suzanne Lee (see link to her TED talk) have recently been exploring the potential of microbial leather as a sustainable alternative to the ethically and environmentally problematic use of animal-sourced leather. Parsons Sustainable Systems is advancing this research.

Questions

Questions can be either frequently asked questions, or "next step" challenges we're looking to solve.

Activities

Activities show how to use this project, step by step.