Textile bacteria dyeing with living organisms is an extremely sustainable and resource-saving dyeing method that does not require harmful chemicals. The bacterial strains multiply in a very small space and do not require large areas of land, the use of pesticides or high amounts of water resources. After the dyeing process, almost 100% of the pigments remain in the fabric. Thus, bacterial dyeing provides compelling advantages over dyeing methods that use synthetic or natural dyes. However, to make this technique competitive with other dyeing and printing methods also on an aesthetic level, this project sets out to obtain defined textile patterns by navigating the bacteria strains in their growth through various influencing factors. By combining textile bacteria dyeing with traditional as well as new technologies, innovative possibilities for textile pattern development with bacteria are being presented.
Project Credits:
Vienna Textile Lab
Erich Schopf
www.livingpigments.com
www.julia-moser.com
Video Credits:
- The bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum on a TY agar plate by Ninjatacoshell (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Portrait of Ferdinand Julius Cohn, vignetted head and shoulders, autographed Ferdinand Cohn from Wellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0)
- Portrait Alexander Fleming (public domain)
- Sample of penicillin mould presented by Alexander Fleming to Douglas Macleod, 1935. Front three-quarter view, grey background. by Science Museum London / Science and Society Picture Library (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Clothes in Tumble Dryer by Videvo
- Yarn hanks by RAJIVVASUDEV (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Streptomyces coelicolor klmp33 on starch casein agar © Deene Manikprabhu from Prabhu, Dr Manik & Lingappa, Kattimani. (2013). Microwave Assisted Rapid Bio-based Synthesis of Gold Nanorods Using Pigment Produced by Streptomyces coelicolor klmp33. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters). 26. 10.1007/s40195-013-0217-6.
- Rhodococcus rhodochrous, © Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Rhodococcus Rhodochrous, (13.02.2021)
- Serratia marcescens by Brudersohn (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Arthrobacter Agilis, 2019 © alkimy.materialbar (13.02.2021)
- Vogesella Indigofera © Bioshades
- Unbekannter Bakterienstamm, oranges Pigment, 2021. © Julia Moser
- Janthinobacterium Lividum, 2021. © Julia Moser
- Arboricola, 2018. © Berhanu L.Robe/Cheng’an Wang/Zhixiang Zhang/Shifang Li, Xanthomonas
- Alexander Fleming’s Microbial Art
- Biosafety Levels from Biosafety Program by The University of Tennessee
- Irrigation Sprinkler at Sunset by Videvo
- Irrigation Sprinkler Water Jets by Videvo
- Videomaterial mit/über Erich Schopf, Bacteriographie. Bakteriensammlung, Agar-Art © Julia Moser
- 3D-Drucker Videomaterial © Julia Moser
- Zusatzvideomaterial © Julia Moser
- Vienna Textile Lab Logo © Vienna Textile Lab
- 2015 BioArt Competition Winners: Mehmet Berkmen and Maria Penil (used with permission)
- How to Create Agar Art with Living Microbes (used with permission)