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The interdisciplinary research project Fibre Highways by HBBE team members Dr Angela Sherry and Dr Jane Scott investigates how a symbiotic relationship can be developed between knitted fabrics and microorganisms, and how to deploy these responsive living textiles to address significant environmental challenges.
Fibre Highways is a collection of environmentally responsive living textiles that unites knit design with molecular microbial ecology to rethink and resolve the challenges of hydrocarbon pollution from oil spills. The projects approach has been to develop a multi-kingdom textile ecosystem using knitting as a tool for conceptual thinking, a microbial transport system and an active agent in remediation. The intention of the project is to demonstrate how a symbiotic relationship can be developed between knitted fabrics and microorganisms, and to deploy these responsive living textiles to address significant environmental challenges.
Oil pollution remains a specific threat to ecosystems around the world. Despite a decadal decrease in oil spills since the 1970s due to increased regulations and the enforcement of environmental law, spills such as the BP Deep Water Horizon in 2010 continue to result in disastrous consequences on marine habitats and unique coastal environments. Oil also pollutes terrestrial systems, infiltrating and damaging soil ecosystems around the world. Oil spill remediation often relies on the addition of chemicals as part of the clean-up operation; these processes are expensive and time sensitive. Yet at the shoreline scientists have identified indigenous microbes degrading fractions of oil before chemical remediation even begins. Alongside bacteria, fungal mycelium is also an active hydrocarbon remediator, in fact Pleurotus ostreatus, used in our research thrives on nutrients derived from petrochemicals in polluted soils.
Scale is a preoccupation of every knit designer because fabric properties evolve between the levels of the fibre, the yarn and the knit structure. This offers multiple opportunities for functionalisation. During the collaboration the design studio has been extended into the lab, where textile testing has been key to identify microbial and mycelial interactions. Scientific insight has provided a range of behaviours to explore through knit design. At a micro scale, fibre morphology has informed the design of fabric for microbial habitation. At a macro scale fabric structure is engineered for variable liquid absorption rates and environmentally responsive shape change using Programmable Knitting.
Harnessing the power of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and fungi within environmentally responsive knitted fabrics is at the heart of this interdisciplinary collaboration. Fibre Highways transforms our understanding of multi-kingdom bio-knit ecologies, generating the fundamental science and design perspective necessary to develop biotechnology required for real world solutions
About Fiber Highways
Fibre Highways is a collection of environmentally responsive living textiles that unites knit design with molecular microbial ecology to rethink and resolve the challenges of hydrocarbon pollution from oil spills. The projects approach has been to develop a multi-kingdom textile ecosystem using knitting as a tool for conceptual thinking, a microbial transport system and an active agent in remediation. The intention of the project is to demonstrate how a symbiotic relationship can be developed between knitted fabrics and microorganisms, and to deploy these responsive living textiles to address significant environmental challenges.
How can textiles empower communities of microorganisms to cleanse polluted environments? How can microorganisms transform knitted fabric properties to enhance remediation?
Oil pollution remains a specific threat to ecosystems around the world. Despite a decadal decrease in oil spills since the 1970s due to increased regulations and the enforcement of environmental law, spills such as the BP Deep Water Horizon in 2010 continue to result in disastrous consequences on marine habitats and unique coastal environments. Oil also pollutes terrestrial systems, infiltrating and damaging soil ecosystems around the world. Oil spill remediation often relies on the addition of chemicals as part of the clean-up operation; these processes are expensive and time sensitive. Yet at the shoreline scientists have identified indigenous microbes degrading fractions of oil before chemical remediation even begins. Alongside bacteria, fungal mycelium is also an active hydrocarbon remediator, in fact Pleurotus ostreatus, used in our research thrives on nutrients derived from petrochemicals in polluted soils.
Through a design lens this collaboration moves between the micro and the macro, the bio, the myco and the textile.
Scale is a preoccupation of every knit designer because fabric properties evolve between the levels of the fibre, the yarn and the knit structure. This offers multiple opportunities for functionalisation. During the collaboration the design studio has been extended into the lab, where textile testing has been key to identify microbial and mycelial interactions. Scientific insight has provided a range of behaviours to explore through knit design. At a micro scale, fibre morphology has informed the design of fabric for microbial habitation. At a macro scale fabric structure is engineered for variable liquid absorption rates and environmentally responsive shape change using Programmable Knitting.
Harnessing the power of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and fungi within environmentally responsive knitted fabrics is at the heart of this interdisciplinary collaboration. Fibre Highways transforms our understanding of multi-kingdom bio-knit ecologies, generating the fundamental science and design perspective necessary to develop biotechnology required for real world solutions
The Research Team
This project builds on Dr Angela Sherry’s knowledge and experience working in hydrocarbon remediation as part of the EU-funded Kill Spill research project. Kill Spill began with the preface that 90% of oil released in a marine oil spill is never recovered or remediated. The research was supported by the European Union under the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnology theme of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Outcomes from this multidisciplinary project included tools for oil spill remediation, for instance biosensors to monitor hydrocarbon degradation, novel environmentally friendly surfactants and adsorbents, and tools for sediment decontamination. As well as research into enhancing the rates of indigenous hydrocarbon-degraders to develop multi-functional bioremediation agents.
From a Textiles perspective Fibre Highways builds on an understanding of the potential of bio-textiles developed through Jane Scott’s participation in BioCoatile, a research project supported by Wear Sustain (EU Horizon 2020). This collaboration between soft matters physics, biotechnology and Programmable Knitting led to the development of a non-toxic biodegradable, protein based protective coating for smarter textiles. Jane Scott developed Programmable Knitting as part of her PhD at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. She works with locally sourced low impact fibres from the UK and Europe and has previously received support from The Masters of Linen and European Linen Supplier Safilin.
The interdisciplinary research project Fibre Highways by HBBE Team members Dr Angela Sherry and Dr Jane Scott investigates how a symbiotic relationship can be developed between knitted fabrics and microorganisms, and how to deploy these responsive living textiles to address significant environmental challenges. The full video is available on our YouTube Channel
