I enjoy researching the design and performance logic of biologically derived materials to achieve new and more environmentally sustainable art and design outcomes. I am really keen in exploring nature’s abundant living resources to find alternatives to toxic materials especially plastic and textiles. I have been growing my own biomaterials for over a year now with the help of recipes on the web, and collaborating with students in RISD and India in spreading awareness and organising workshops about the process and potential of various biomaterials. Some of the experimentation below has been done in RISD’s Edna Lawrence Nature Lab. I am also working with the NCSS (Nature, Culture and Sustainability Studies) Department at RISD to recognise and develop Biologic Design as one of the major research clusters.
Kombucha SCOBY Bioleather
SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. A SCOBY is a gelatinous, translucent, fleshy-looking culture that is used to ferment kombucha, a naturally carbonated tea drink. It lives off of sugar and nutrients from sweetened tea and grows thicker as it ferments.
My recipe:
120 ml premade Kombucha (live, organic, & unflavoured) + 300 ml sweet tea (7 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 4 teabags)
Loosely seal container for gas exchange to occur, & let the SCOBY grow for a few weeks.
Let it dry!
Mushroom Mycelium
Ecovative’s premade wood substrate inoculated with mushroom mycelium, is mixed with wheat flour and water to give the mushroom an initial growth time for approx. 5 days. After which the particles in the bag are broken apart and put into a mold so the mycelium grows in that enclosed shape. It takes 5 more days for mycelium to regain the shape of the mold, after which it should be left to dry and can be baked to quicken the process.
Before
After addition and mixture of wheat + water.
Put into glass molds of various sizes and thicknesses. All sealed using tape to allow only limited gas exchange.
Final little mushroom mycelium bottle.
Added turmeric dye in the middle piece to see the effect, only the wood substrate absorbed the dye and reflected yellow colour, while the mycelium’s colour did not change.
Bioplastics
Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc.
My recipe:
60 ml water, 6 grams potato starch, 6 grams gelatin, 6 grams glycerin.
Snippet from final sheet.
Pouring bioplastic in a mold to make simple jewellery.
After adding natural dye, mixing all ingredients on hotplate set to heat level of 6 or 7.
Final sheet after drying being used to prevent effects of prolonged eye exposure to bright laptop screens.
Biocycle
Biocycle is a web store designed to provide high-performance natural products that are safe and sustainable. From apparel to furniture, everything is made entirely using bio-materials like mushroom mycelium, kombucha, and other agricultural byproducts. After use, the products are fully compostable, and can be disposed without creating any waste.
I envisioned and prototyped this website, to provide a one-stop shopping platform for people interested in investing in this niche category of product design.
You can check the high-fidelity mockups by using the arrows on the right ↓
With my work, I hope to build a community of enthusiasts connecting and collaborating on projects related to Biodesign. I envision a future where we walk with our friends and families to forests to source unique materials to create our homes, and use waste to collectively build and share our ideas and hopes for the future of design.