katherineisgrowing

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Final Presentation for the Semester (Fall 2021)!

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Phase II: Prep Petri Dishes

Well, these petri dishes might as well be an experiment in it of themselves...bc they are ~vegan~ petri dishes. Yup, that’s right. Rushing to Brooklyn, I grabbed what I thought was a container of chicken broth. Indeed, it was “no chicken” chicken broth.

I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard this broth indeed has flavor and is very yummy. So, hopefully, my bacteria like it too and do what they need to do. 

Following the Journal In Living Color, I devised my own ratio of broth : agar.

I combined agar and broth, autoclaved, and let cool. Then, I poured 3 large petri dishes and 1 small.

What do I plan to do with them? 

1 Large as CONTROL

1 Large for THICK SILK [ heavy silk OR silk/wool ]

1 Large for THIN SILK [ charmeuse OR organza ]

1 Small for ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [ i’m thinking of experimenting with silk cocoons ]

The next step will be autoclaving the fabrics, and then, finally, inoculating with S. Coelicolor!

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Phase I: Obtain Silk Samples

Location: Mood Fabrics (Midtown)

What: Fabric Samples

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Future Ideas

I’ve barely started the actual experiment, but lots of research has led me to think about lots of future experimentations!

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Dyeing Techniques

[ From Chieza’s TED Talk, I always wondered how she achieved her beautiful designs, this slide provides some insight ]

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More on Audrey Natsai Chieza

https://www.ted.com/talks/natsai_audrey_chieza_fashion_has_a_pollution_problem_can_biology_fix_it 

https://faberfutures.com/

https://youtu.be/TNdXTAYXqFw 

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Inspiration: My Forerunners

Natsai Audrey Chieza (Founder of Faber Futures)

My biggest inspiration, for sure. I admire the beautiful, impressive pieces she’s created, and her process: she has taken strides in developing new tools to dye with bacteria while also utilizing traditional dyeing techniques like shibori. 

I will also post videos of her talking and links. She is my biggest inspiration not just for the headway she’s made in harnessing the power S. Coelicolor, but also the personal resonance in her sentiments about regarding a frustration with the institutions of education and the idea of single disciplines studies, and navigating the world as a woman and POC.

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Inspiration: My Forerunners

(Journal) In Living Color: Bacterial Pigments as an Untapped Resource in the Classroom and Beyond

This is an inspiration I come back to because of their clear outline of experimental procedure, ideas for future color experiments (you can change colors!), and encouragement that anyone can work with S. Coelicolor (a great experiment to do with kids!)

When I started my own research, I followed instructions from this journal to nail my own measurements. Although this study does not dye fabric, their instructions translate to my research nontheless.

Their project: Painting with bacteria!

Manipulating the Color Extracted from S. Coelicolor

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Inspiration: My Forerunners

FabTextiles

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Why S. Coelicolor

From people, wildlife, to our waterways, the fashion industry causes pervasive, long-lasting harm for the aesthetic of trends gone in the blink of an eye. Fast fashion especially, has over-exerted many natural resources, people, and created excessive waste. Pertinent to my studies and creative explorations is the issue of toxic materials in creation: the dyeing of fabrics is water-wasteful and uses toxic dyes. So, what if we are to dye fabric au naturale? S. Coelicolor is a bacteria whose name is making noise in the intersection of fashion, design, and science. This pigment-producing bacteria can be grown directly on fabric to create unique patterns, extracted for its dye, and much more.