experiments based on dyeing with the help of micro organisms

1. DYEING WITH
MICROBES
B Y
VA R S H A S E K H A N I

2. WHAT IS MICROBIAL DYEING?
• Revolutionizing the process of dyeing textiles through Biotechnology by using
natural or engineered microbes/bacteria.
• These dyes generally use less water and energy in the dyeing process and do
not contain heavy metals.

3. LIVING COLOUR
BY KUKKA
• The designers Laura Luchtman & Ilfa Siebenhaar have worked together on Living
Colour Bio design project to create bacterial dyes and pigments.
• In the Cymatics research, they explored the possibilities of growing bacteria in patterns
by exposing them to sound frequencies.
• The resonance of sound frequencies is known to create geometric patterns in matter.
This principle is called Cymatics.
• They executed several experiments with different sound frequencies, bacteria and
textiles.

4. THE PROCESS
• The designers programmed a software with the help of a Sound engineer and installed
4 speakers with different frequencies and volumes at the same time.
• They used speakers, amplifiers, laptop, audio card, cables and wires to create the set
up for the experiment.
• They secured the Petri dishes with the bacteria and the fabric directly on top of the
speakers so that they would not need high volume to create vibrations for bacterial
growth.
• In order to produce pigment the bacteria specimens were cultivated for a period of
approximately three weeks before being made into a liquid which could then be used
as a dye.
• It can dye (organic) cotton, linen, wool, (ahimsa peace) silk, tencel, viscose, polyester,
elastane, polyamide, Pyratex Health fabric, and other synthetic fibres.

6. PATTERN FORMED THROUGH CYMATICS
CHLADNI FIGURES AND FARADAY WAVES

7. THE MICROBES
• Janthinobacterium lividum
It is a soil dwelling bacteria produces shades of purple called Volacein. It has
anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti viral as well as anti cancer properties. Its optimal
growth temperature a comfortable 25˚C
• Arthrobacter agilis
It is a soil dwelling bacteria produces pink to red pigments called Carotenoid. It
can fight hexavalent chromium which id found in textile dyes and causes severe
skin irritations. It can also reverse the effect of agricultural pesticides in the
ground. Its optimal growth temperature is between 25˚C to 30˚C
• Micrococcus Luteus
It is found on human skin, water, dust and soil producing yellow colour called
Carotenoid. It has the ability to absorb UV radiation that no current sunscreen
can block. Its optimal growth temperature a comfortable 35˚C

8. CONCLUSIONS
Experiment 1
When soaking small pieces of
untreated silk fabric in a purple
stained liquid for 24 hours on
exposing the to sound
frequencies, the fabric turns
bright purple.
The JL bacteria produces faster
and more pigment in a liquid
nutrient broth.

9. Experiment 2
The fabric showed light
stains/patterns of light purple,
when less pigment liquid culture
was used
The JL bacteria adheres to most
cotton fabrics. The live pigments
love thin and open structures,
where oxygen could flow freely.
None of the bacteria respond well
to Bamboo fabric as it is not able
to dye with live bacteria.
We discovered that sound
frequencies help speed up
pigment production.

10. APPLICATIONS
• In September 2018, five Dutch designers developed an ensemble for Louise Fresco,
chairman of the board of Wageningen University & Research using bacterial dyeing by
Living Colour. They also dyed and designed a silk scarf from ahimsa peace silk to
complete the outfit.
• During the centennial festivities, they also presented a dyed pocket square to Dutch
Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

11. SILK SHIBORI DYED WITH JL

12. SILK SHIBORI ON NON BLEACHED SILK

13. BACTERIAL COLOURS ON VARIOUS FABRICS

14. ORGANIC COTTON FABRIC

15. FABER FUTURES AND GINKGO BIOWORKS
• Natsai Audrey Chieza, founder of the Faber Futures worked to create a blue pigment
biologically derived from Streptomyces Coelicolor, a bacteria that produces pigment as
it grows during its week-long life, for the intent of dyeing silk textiles.
• As these pigments are derived through the natural excretion process, they can dye
textiles with about 500 times less water than industrial dyeing.
• Unlike natural dyes, it also doesn’t require mordents, huge agricultural lands and
pesticides to grow and it doesn’t require heavy metals to fix the dye to materials.

16. THE MICROBE
• She’s been developing dyes from
Streptomyces coelicolor, a soil-
dwelling bacteria typically found in
the roots of plants where it helps to
decompose organic matter.
• It produces pigment by seeping out of
their cell walls.

17. THE PROCESS
• The textiles are placed in a 150mm Petri dish with live Streptomyces Coelicolor, then
growing a particular bacteria colony on it for a period of 7 days.
• After an incubation period, the textiles take on the rich blue, purple, pink and red
tones, depending on the pH of the environment where the bacteria are grown.
• In the Project Coelicolor, the bacteria converts in strings of DNA, traceable amounts of
which are incorporated into the pigment sample.
• The bacteria is able to self-replicate and scale with minimal energy requirements, and
it can deploy molecules exactly where they need to be deployed.
• Depending on the acidity of the environment, S. Coelicolor produces a pigmented
compound, antibiotic called Actinorhodin, which is used to dye fabrics and garments in
patterned hues of colours ranging from pink, purple to blue.

21. BACTERIAL PRINTS GROWN ON SILK SCARVES.

22. PILI
• PILI is dedicated to the same common goal – reduce pollution caused by the dyeing
industry without loosing the joy that colours bring.
• They found the solutions in the microcosm lying on those precious and powerful cells
that turns sugar into colours.
• Later, they worked on making these processes even cleaner and cheaper for
commercial uses for large productions.

23. Production of dyes and pigments
from soil microbiota, including
this incredible blue colour from a
Streptomycete
These Erlenmeyer flasks
contain genuine pigments
developed over the Summer
at IndieBio EU 2015

24. THE PROCESS
• They use Streptomycete bacteria to fabricate colourful dyes, they biosynthesize the
dyes from sugar using fermentation processes without any nasty solvents or the need
to heat at high temperatures.
• Once biosynthesized the pigments are filtered out leaving the microorganisms for
further uses.
• Finally, they purify them so that it can be used in a wide range of industrial textile
applications.

26. REFERENCES
• https://livingcolour.eu/experiments/
• https://www.kukka.nl/en/portfolio/living-colour/
Link for video
https://vimeo.com/294452499
• https://www.fastcompany.com/90257662/these-gorgeous-colors-come-from-dye-made-by-bacteria-
not-chemicals
• https://www.faberfutures.com/projects/project-coelicolor/colour-coded/
• https://synbiobeta.com/pili-leader-in-the-production-of-biotech-dyes-3-million/
• https://www.amberoot.com/future-of-fashion-innovative-dyeing-using-microorganisms-pili/
Link to video
https://www.dw.com/en/dye-powder-made-by-bacteria-for-more-sustainable-clothes/av-47401880

27. THANK YOU