7. BioFabricating Materials¶
⁺₊𐦍₊⁺Research⁺₊𐦍₊⁺¶
Biomaterials are materials derived from living or once living organisms that offer an alternative to conventional synthetic materials. In contemporary design and textile research, biomaterials are explored for their potential to reduce environmental impact, promote circularity, and reconnect production with biological processes. Among the most studied bio based materials in experimental textiles and biodesign are SCOBY based bioleather, mycelium composites, and alginate threads.
— ✧ SCOBY based bio leather: it´s produced from a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, commonly associated with kombucha fermentation. During fermentation, bacteria generate a cellulose network that can be harvested, dried, and treated to form a flexible, leather like material. This bacterial cellulose is biodegradable, lightweight, and can be grown with minimal resources. However, SCOBY is sensitive to moisture and lacks long term durability, which limits its use to experimental, artistic, or low stress applications rather than mass market products.
— ✧ Mycelium-based materials: They are created from the root like network of fungi. When grown on agricultural waste, mycelium binds the substrate together, forming a lightweight and biodegradable composite. By controlling growth conditions, density, and postprocessing techniques, mycelium can mimic the appearance and texture of leather or foam like materials. Mycelium stands out for its scalability and mechanical resistance compared to other biomaterials, although it often requires coatings or treatments to improve water resistance and durability.
Bio-Fabrication with Mycelium and Kelp, University of Tasmania, 2020
— ✧ Alginate threads: They are derived from alginic acid, a natural polymer extracted from brown seaweed. When sodium alginate comes into contact with calcium salts, it forms a gel through ionic crosslinking. This property allows alginate to be spun into fibers or threads, commonly used in medical textiles, wound dressings, and experimental fashion. Alginate threads are biodegradable, skin friendly, and can be combined with natural dyes or conductive additives, making them particularly relevant for wearable technology and e-textile applications.
@emibiolab Bioyarn can be so magical 🪄 #bioyarn #biodegradable #biomaterials #bioplastic #alginate #biodesign ♬ F. Down - Undoing & 空の
✩⁺˚References & Inspiration˚⁺✩¶
Alicia´s Valdés work:
@_aliciavaldes_ i adored the pink color the yarn had in the beginning but how beautiful are the resulted earth tones ? I am not mad at all it turned out so beautfiul 🩷🪸🤎 #algaeyarn #bioyarn #biomaterials #biodesign #biodegradable ♬ som original - scand7ll
@_aliciavaldes_ first video from april 22, last one from september 22; 6 months in the making 🍄✨ #kombuchaleather #scoby #biomaterials #scobyleather ♬ In The Forest (Acoustic Indie No Copyright) - Instrumental - Lesfm & Olexy
⟡﹡｡˚SCOBY LEATHER⟡﹡｡˚¶
Ingredients & Recipe¶
Prepare this recipe by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:
* 4 L of water
* 300 gr of sugar
* 18 gr of green tea
* Container
* Spatula
* Pot
* Scale
* Ethanol
* Meassuring cup
* Weight your ingredients
* Pour 1L of water to a pot and heat it until it boils.
* Add the 300g of sugar and disolve it.
* Add your tea infusion and remove it after 30 minutes.
* Clean your container with ethanol.
* Pour some kombucha starter to the container.
* Add your mixture to the container plus the 3 L of water left.
* Cover the container with a piece of cloth and set it aside.
Process and workflow¶
Weight your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients before starting is more convenient and efficient for working.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Boil water
Heat one liter of water. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat, add 300 g of sugar, and stir until fully dissolved.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Add tea
Add 18 g of green tea. If you are using loose green tea, you can make a small infusion bag by wrapping it in cloth and tying it so the tea leaves do not escape. Let the tea bag infuse for 30 minutes.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Clean container
Clean your container with alcohol or ethanol before adding the tea infusion.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Pour mixture in the container
Before adding your mixture, first add your kombucha starter,that is, some previously fermented kombucha liquid to initiate the fermentation, similar to a sourdough starter. Then pour your tea infusuion to the clean container an add the 3 L of water left.
Afterward, you can cover the container with a piece of cloth and tie it around.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Tip: it´s useful if you stick a label to your container with the date you started your fermentation.
Considerations¶
After a few days, a thin layer should begin to grow on the surface of the liquid; this is the SCOBY. It feeds on the nutrients in the liquid, so if you want it to continue growing, you should replace the liquid every 10–14 days following the same process described above. You can also measure its acidity using pH strips to determine when it is time to change the liquid; try to keep the pH from rising above an acidity level of 3–4. The liquid can be consumed as kombucha. If any type of mold appears on your SCOBY, discard it immediately, as it is contaminated, and repeat the process until a healthy SCOBY forms.
Post process¶
After two months of growth, we were able to obtain a very thin but manageable SCOBY. I removed it, stretched it, and cut the piece I was going to use. I applied glycerin onto a mold so the SCOBY would adopt that shape, placed it on top, and left it to dry.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Mycelium 「 ☆」¶
* Straw
* Pleurotus Ostreatus
* calcium carbonate
* Water
* Container
* Spatula
* Pot
* Scale
* Ethanol
* Plastic & tape
* Sissors
* Wash straw with water to remove all the dirt it came with.
* Cut it into pieces of 2 cm.
* Boil the 1/2 kg of straw with 35g of calcium carbonate for 1h 20 min.
* Clean your container with ethanol.
* Inside your container, place a layer of straw. Then, using your hand, generously spread a layer of Pleurotus ostreatus. Add another layer of straw, followed by another layer of Pleurotus ostreatus, continuing this process until you reach the top of the container.
* Close or seal your container with plastic wrap and secure it with tape around the container.
Process and workflow¶
Wash & boil straw
Wash straw with water to remove all the dirt it came with, proceed to cut it with scissors in little pieces of about 2cm length. Then boil the 1/2 kg of straw with 35g of calcium carbonate, that will work as a Ph regulator, for 1h 20 min.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Clean container
Clean your container with ethanol to prevent any contamination.
Layers
Inside your container, place a layer of straw. Then, using your hand, generously spread a layer of Pleurotus ostreatus (is a species of edible mushroom commonly known as the oyster mushroom). Add another layer of straw, followed by another layer of Pleurotus ostreatus, continuing this process until you reach the top of the container, like a lasagna.
IMPORTANT: Do not apply the Pleurotus ostreatus using any metal utensils, as contact with metal can contaminate the fungus.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Seal container
Close or seal your container with plastic wrap and secure it with tape around the container.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Considerations¶
The mycelium grows over 15–20 days (sometimes longer depending on the climate). Store it in a dark place where humidity can be maintained so it can grow properly, such as inside an oven, behind a refrigerator, or, for a more controlled environment, inside a laboratory incubator (for this organism to grow it needs to be in 18-25 ° C). Unmold it once the straw is completely white. To dry it and make it ready for use, wrap it in a plastic bag and let it dry in the sun for five days or under a laboratory UV hood. Fruiting bodies may grow during this process, but they should be cut off when the drying stops.
My mycelium grew in a very unexpected way; unfortunately, it was ruined during the process. A type of mold appeared, and it was not able to fully colonize the straw and turn it white, so it could not move on to the drying stage.
By Samantha Sánchez, 2025
Alginate threads or bio-yarn ˚ ⟡¶
* 500ml water
* 20g sodium alginate
* 45gr glycerin
* 100 ml Water
* 7% calcium chloride
* Bowl
* Syringe 500 ml
* Scale
* Prepare your mixture for the threads using 100 ml of water, 20 g of sodium binder, 45 g of glycerin, and, if desired, add pigment, making sure it is in powder form.
* Put your mixture into a srynge.
* Mix your 500 ml of water with 7% calcium chloride.
* Push the mixture from the syringe into the water solution with calium chloride in a circular motion so the bio-yarn can form.
Prepare thread mix
Prepare your mixture for the threads using 100 ml of water, 20 g of sodium alginate, 45 g of glycerin, and, if desired, add pigment, making sure it is in powder form. Put your mixture into a srynge.
Mix and push
Mix your 500 ml of water with 7% calcium chloride in a bowl, Push the mixture from the syringe into the water solution with calium chloride in a circular motion so the bio-yarn can form.
Considerations¶
Keep in mind that the material shrinks by about 60% when it dries. The calcium chloride solution is only effective for a limited period of time. After approximately 30 minutes, the quality of the bio-yarn begins to decrease, resulting in weaker or irregular fibers. For this reason, the solution should be prepared fresh and used shortly after mixing to ensure consistent results. Also something i didn´t do but it´s important: the bio-yarn should be washed after extruding with tap water to stop couring and to clean the remains of cloro.
Final result pre-dry¶
Images from Laura Muth.
Documenting and comparing experiments ⋰˚♡¶
| Material | Undried | Dried |
|---|---|---|
| SCOBY |  |
 |
| Mycelium | |
|
| Aglinate threads |  |
 |
Conclussion¶
This assignment was mainly about learning by doing and understanding how biomaterials behave through direct experimentation. Working with SCOBY, mycelium, and bio based processes helped me realize that these materials are unpredictable and require patience, observation, and constant adjustment. Not every experiment was successful, but even the failures were valuable because they showed the limits and sensitivities of working with living materials. Documenting each step allowed me to better understand how small changes in conditions, time, and handling can completely affect the outcome. Overall, this week helped me shift my mindset from controlling materials to collaborating with them, which is an important step toward more responsible and experimental design practices.