BioFabricating Materials¶

1. research and inspiration¶

2. roots¶

We are in the process of growing biomaterials using roots. For this experiment, we used grass seeds that Erien had lying around. Strangely enough, the seeds were coated with a bright green colourant and what appeared to be chalk. Presumably, this is done to make your lawn look greener even before the seeds have had a chance to sprout.

The idea behind this experiment is to use the natural growth of roots to create a material that can take on the shape of a mould. As the seeds germinate, their roots begin to grow and spread through the gauze, potentially forming an interconnected network that holds the material together. We followed this process:

1. Soak the seeds overnight to help initiate germination.
2. Place a piece of gauze over a shape that will serve as a mould for the roots to grow around and through.
3. Spread the soaked seeds evenly over the gauze material. Spray them with water.
4. Place the installation inside a plastic box with a lid. The lid should remain slightly open to allow oxygen to circulate, while keeping the environment sufficiently humid to prevent the seeds from drying out. Alternatively, you can cover it with some cellophane in which you add a few holes.

It has now been five days since we set up the installation. The seeds have started to sprout, and the first roots are becoming visible. However, they have not yet spread enough to make a sturdy biomaterial. We will update as soon as it is ready.

3. mycelium¶

We also experimented with growing a biomaterial using mycelium. Mycelium is the network of fine, thread-like structures (called hyphae) that forms the vegetative part of fungi. As it grows, it can spread through organic materials and bind them together, potentially creating a lightweight and relatively strong material.

We saw some samples from a few years ago at the lab. This time we used a different kind of mushroom which should become pink. For this experiment, we used commercially available straw sold as bedding for rabbits. The idea is to use the straw as a nutrient-rich substrate for the mycelium to grow through. We also wanted to make the resulting material less rough by grinding the straw into smaller pieces. We followed this process:

1. Prepare the substrate: Grind the straw into smaller pieces. This should result in a finer material, while also making it easier for the mycelium to spread.
2. Sterilise the substrate: Place the ground straw in a pressure cooker to sterilise it.
3. Prepare a clean working environment: Clean all equipment and surfaces with soap and then alcohol. We also used Bunsen burners and ethanol to make a sterile bubble.
4. Mix the ingredients: Combine the mycelium grains with the prepared straw and some flour, following this ratio: 50 g mycelium grains : 50 g straw : 3 g flour. The mycelium grains act as the starting culture, while the flour provides an additional source of nutrients to support growth.
5. Fill the mould: Place the mixture into a mould, distributing it evenly so that the mycelium can grow throughout the material and eventually take on the shape of the mould.

At this point, there is not yet much visible growth. The mycelium needs time to spread through the straw and establish a network that can bind the different particles together. We will therefore leave the material to develop further and observe how it changes over time. An update will follow as soon as there is more visible growth and the material is ready.

4. gelatin sculpture¶

Following Claire Jouanchicot's biomaterials experiments, we wanted to try making a solid shape out of a piece of textile we found in the textile bins at the lab.

The idea was to use gelatin as a binding agent to stiffen the textile and potentially transform it into a more rigid, sculptural material. We were interested in seeing whether the gelatin could hold the textile together in a fixed shape. When looking at Claire's recipe, we suspected that there might be an issue with the proportions, as it seemed to contain a relatively large amount of glycerin. Glycerin is commonly added to gelatin-based biomaterials as a plasticiser, making the final material more flexible and less brittle. However, in our case, flexibility was not the goal. We wanted to achieve the opposite: a hard, rigid structure. We therefore decided to experiment with our own recipe:

1. Prepare the gelatin mixture: Dissolve 9 g of gelatin in as little water as possible, aiming for a concentrated mixture that would result in a harder material once dried.
2. Apply the mixture: Use a paintbrush to spread the gelatin solution over the textile, making sure to cover the material and allow the mixture to penetrate its fibres.
3. Let it dry: Leave the textile to dry so that the gelatin can solidify and hopefully bind the fibres together into a rigid structure. Unfortunately, the final result was not strong enough to achieve the desired effect. Although the gelatin did interact with the textile, the resulting material did not become sufficiently rigid or self-supporting.

It would be interesting to continue experimenting with different gelatin-to-water ratios and perhaps apply several layers to the textile. We could also try contacting Claire to ask for clarification about her original recipe and whether she has any recommendations for achieving a harder final material.

1. Objective¶

2. References, research & inspiration¶

2.1 Quick how-tos¶

remove chapter 2.1 after use

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Caption for the left image

Caption for the right image

• Download references Links to online reference files, PDF, booklets

• or embed your own PDF as:

• Video references: Vimeo (only when not yours)

Sound Waves from George Gally (Radarboy) on Vimeo.

• Video references: Youtube (only when not yours)

3. Tools & Ingredients¶

or

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* xxx gr
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* measure - measure - measure
* add, combine, mix..
* simmer, cook, boil, freeze, burn, crush...
* mix, smash, stack, overlay..
* cast, pour, press..
* dry, aereate, dehydrate..
* remove, peel, unmold..
* finishing touches

4. Process and workflow¶

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4.1 Step 1¶

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4.2 Step 2¶

The laser cut nesting ² was created using.. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

4.3 Step 3¶

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5. Results¶

5.1 Documenting experiments in a table for comparison¶

example from the documentation of Loes Bogers TextileLab Amsterdam 2019-20

Biofoam	Gelatin foil	Bioresin	Biosilicone
Starch Rubber	Biolinoleum	Alginate net	Alginate foil
Alginate string	Agar foil	Bio composite	Reused PLA

6. Weekly reflection & critical thinking¶

• What did I learn? What did I personally find interesting or surprised me?
• What would I do differently? If something "failed" do I know how else to tackle it now?"
• How does this connect to my final project or my learning trajectory?
• What are implications and possible applications, think also from the ethical or environmental aspect, how it could connect to your practice and project?

7. Recipe files, Booklet and References¶