Renewable fibre: Lee and her research team have designed a vest and shoe prototype from the cellulosic fibre grown in this lab. Photos: Christopher Gannon
Rows of shallow plastic bins cover nearly every available space inside one of the textile and clothing labs in LeBaron Hall. The lab is really more of a “greenhouse”, but it is far different from the other greenhouses on the Iowa State University campus.
Instead of soil and seeds, each plastic bin contains a gel-like film consisting of cellulose fibres – a byproduct of kombucha tea – that feeds off a mixture of vinegar and sugar. The film is grown by using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). Young-A Lee, an associate professor of apparel, merchandising and design at Iowa State University (ISU), says the properties of this SCOBY film are similar to leather once it’s harvested and dried, and can be used to make clothing, shoes or handbags.
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