SIMULEATHER

7. BioFabricating Materials

Research

Emibiolab from tiktok is someone I have followed for a while, prior to applying to Fabricademy so I was already familiar with the concept of bio yarn and bio materials.

Rob's lecture at the lab was insightful into what bio materials really are and how they can be developed and used. It inspired many ideas for what I thought biofabricating materials week was.

References & Inspiration

Bompas & Parr – Experiential edible installations.

Marije Vogelzang – Design for emotional and sensory nourishment.

Julia Lohmann – Kelp-based bioplastics and sustainable forms.

Ferran Adrià & José Andrés – Molecular gastronomy pioneers.

Top Chef / Chef's Table – Precision + theatre in material presentation.

Local Ingredients – Tea, beer, wine, glycerine, gelatin, and fruit pulp.

Tools

*Tool*                          *Purpose*
Beaker or Mixing Bowl           Mix alginate + ingredients
Dropper or Spoon                Create pods
Immersion bath container        Holds calcium solution for spherification
Scale                           Measure ingredients accurately
Strainer / Slotted spoon        Retrieve pods from bath
Drying surface                  To test drying or dehydration
Gloves, apron                   Hygiene + protection

Optional: - Pipette or syringe for smaller capsules - Silicone mold for shape consistency - Dehydrator or fan for drying

3D BIO PRINTING

INGREDIENTS

- Cellulose cmc
- Glycerine
- Orange & avocado dust 
- Calcium Carbonate
- Water

TOOLS

- Bowl 
- Handmixer 
- 3D Printer

RECIPE

- measure
- add, combine, mix 
- let it sit overnight
- put to extrude 
- turn 3d printer on and connect pc 
- set the file on Cura 
- take the file to repetier 
- print 
- let it air dry

DOCUMENTATION CRAFTED BIO-MATERIALS

Material pic	Material name	polymer	plastifier	filler	emulsifier
{ width=100 }	Bio-yarn	Alginate 12 gr	Glycerol 90 gr	Water 600ml	Calcium Chloryde
{ width=100 }	Pink bio-yarn	Alginate 12 gr	Glycerol 90 gr	water 600ml	Calcium Chloryde
{ width=100 }	Gold bio-yarn	Alginate 12 gr	Glycerol 90 gr	water 600ml	Calcium Chloryde
{ width=100 }	Pink Bio-leather	Alginate 12 gr	Glycerol 90 gr	water 600ml	Calcium Chloryde
{ width=100 }	Gold Bio-leather	Alginate 12 gr	Glycerol 90 gr	water 600ml	Calcium Chloryde
{ width=100 }	Bio-plastic	Gelatine 48 gr	Glycerin 48 gr	water 240ml	-
{ width=100 }	Bio-plastic	Gelatine 48 gr	Glycerin 48 gr	water 240ml	Dish soap
{ width=100 }	Bio-plastic Agar Agar	Agar Agar 10 gr	Glycerin 16 gr	Water 300ml	-
{ width=100 }	Bio-resin	Pine Resin 45 gr	Alcohol 20ml	Wood dust 40 gr	Carnauba wax 5 gr

• When working with gelatine, add cinnamon for antibacterial properties
• Remove the mold from the gelatin with alcohol

BIO-YARN

- measure ingredients
- make mix 1: alginate + glycerol
- mix the two without making bubbles 
- make mix 2: water + calcium chloryde 
- divide if you want to colour 
- fill syringe with mix 1 
- press syringe with mix 1 into bowl with mix 2 
- remove yarn and rinse in water 
- hang to dry

CRAFTED MATERIAL 2: BIOPLASMA ELECTRODES

These conductive biofilms were created as part of my wearable tech research for BISHSTIM. I developed used two different recipes that integrate bioplasma into soft, flexible plastic materials suitable for use as wearable electrodes.

RECIPE 1 Half&Half Corn Starch & Agar

This recipe blends two techniques into one batch for layered effects.

INGREDIENTS

CORN STARCH MIX

- 20g glycerine
- 80ml bioplasma
- 1.6g corn starch
- 15ml vinegar

AGAR AGAR MIX

- 5.4g glycerine 
- 40ml bioplasma
- 1.6g agar agar

PROCESS

1. CORN STARCH MIX
   • Combine ingredients in a pot
   • Cook over medium heat, stirring for 10 minutes until thickened
   • let excess liquid evaporate

2. AGAR AGAR MIX - combine ingredients in a pot - cook over medium heat until boiling and viscous - skim froth for clarity

1. Stir to combine corn starch and agar agar mixtures into one pot
2. Pour mixture into cast and allow to air dry

RECIPE 2 Gelatine

INGREDIENTS

- 7.2g glycerine
- 60ml bioplasma
- 12g gelatine

PROCESS

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot
2. Cook over medium heat while stirring until fully dissolved
3. Allow solution to thicken slightly
4. Remove froth for smooth finish
5. Pour mixture into cast and allow too air dry

CASTING BIO-LEATHER

- set a waterproof fabric to pour the mixture into 
- spray some of mix 2 onto the cast 
- pour mix 1 into cast 
- spray again mix 2 on top of casted mix 1 
- clean the cast with water 
- set to dry for up to days

OBSERVATIONS & REFLECTIONS

- Gelatine has a smoother surface, great for skin contact
- Glycerine ratios affected gloss and flexibility

I made these bioplasma plastics specifically for skin contact and conductivity. Testing different bio-polymer bases helped me understand texture, drying time, and conductivity for wearable use. These materials will serve as electrode layers for future BishStim prototypes.

GROWN MATERIALS

DOCUMENTATION LIVING BIO-MATERIALS

Material pic	Material name	polymer	plastifier	filler	emulsifier
{ width=100 }	Bio-material	Mycelium	Distilled water	straw & sawdust	Xanthan gum & flour
{ width=100 }	Bio-leather	Kombucha	Wine 0.75L	Sugar 100g	Vinegar
{ width=100 }	Bio-leather	Kombucha	Water 8L	Tea bags x2	Vinegar
{ width=100 }	Bio-leather	Kombucha	Beer 300ml	Water 300ml	Vinegar 60g

Steps for Bio-Material Mycelium

Sterilize everything!!! (tools, lab & materials)

- put materials in autoclave bags (these dont melt)
- pour approx. 4ml of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker

- pressure cook straw 40 mins 
- pressure cook tools 20 mins 
- take out materials always being mindful of contamination 
- make small pieces of mycelium 
- put materials (straw, mycelium, distilled water, xanthan gum, flour and sawdust) into a bowl 
- mix everything with your hands using gloves and always sterilizing with alcohol before touching the mycelium

- if mix is too dry, add a bit more water 
- pour the mix into casts 
- press the mix into the cast 
- cover with foil making sure its tight 
- leave in a dark room to set

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Tea

- add tea bags into growth bowl with distilled water 
- check PH 
- cut a thick piece of mother scoby 
- add sooby to tea mix 
- cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric 
- let rest and dont move for min 1 month

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Wine

- pour wine into growth bowl 
- add sugar and vinegar 
- check ph 
- cut piece of mother scoby 
- add scoby to wine mix 
- cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric 
- let rest and dont move for min 1 month

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Beer

- pour beer into growth bowl with distilled water
- add sugar and vinegar 
- check ph 
- cut piece of mother scoby 
- add scoby to beer mix 
- cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric 
- let rest and dont move for min 1 month

• PH level should be between 3 - 4.5
• Scoby (Symbioticc Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
• Kombucha is a microbial colony of bacterial yeast
  

RESULTS

Reflection & Unexpected Discoveries

Working with organic matter taught me that no two batches are ever the same. Some surprises:

- Kombucha leather grown from beer was more fragile and patchy than tea or wine.
- Mycelium took longer to colonize the straw than expected—likely due to moisture content and compaction.
- Alginate-based yarns dry with better strength when air-cured slowly instead of near a heat source.
- Some bioplastics with dish soap became unexpectedly foamy, useful for cushioning or foamed structures.

This week helped me rethink materials as living, evolving collaborators instead of static tools. Failures became fertile ground for future recipes.

Final Thoughts

This process reminded me that making biomaterials is both art and experiment. There’s alchemy in each batch—and joy in the mess. These materials are tactile stories in progress, and I’m excited to keep developing their character and application within wearable healing tech like BishStim.

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Recipes

BIOPLASMA ELECTRODE RESULT

@bishgosh new set of bioplasma infused electrodes x #biomaterials #electro #bioplasma #pemf ♬ she was a fairy - ⋆. 𐙚 ̊Dee ❀

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OTHER TESTED RECIPES

SEAMOSS GUMMIES

MANGO MARGARITA PODS

INGREDIENTS – Pod Mix (Makes 10–15 pods)

Ingredient	Amount	Function
Mango puree (fresh or frozen)	1 cup	Adds pulp + flavor; acts as filler
Sodium alginate	2 tsp	Bio-polymer gelling agent
Lime juice	1 tbsp	pH + citrus flavor & scent
Sea salt	¼ tsp	Ionic balance + taste
Tequila (optional)	1 tsp	Aromatic component
Distilled water	1 cup	Dilutes the base for smooth drop formation

INGREDIENTS – Spherification Bath

Ingredient	Amount	Function
Calcium lactate or chloride	1 tsp	Reacts with alginate to form gel membrane
Distilled water	2 cups	Medium for the bath

TOOLS

• Blender
• Bowls
• Dropper / pipette / spoon
• Fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon
• Gloves Optional: silicone mold, dehydrator, pH test strips
  

Process and workflow

PREP:

1. Prepare the Pod Mix
2. Blend mango, lime juice, salt, tequila, and water until smooth.
3. Add sodium alginate slowly while blending.

4. Let rest for 10–15 minutes to remove bubbles.

5. Prepare Calcium Bath

6. Dissolve calcium salt into water. Stir well.

7. Form Pods

8. Drop the mango-alginate mixture into the calcium bath with a dropper.
9. Let sit for 30–60 seconds (longer = thicker shell).

10. Remove gently and rinse in clean water.

11. Optional Experiments

12. Dry on a glass or silicone surface for 24h → forms a transparent film.
13. Freeze to test resilience.
14. Add edible glitter, pigment, or essential oils.