Revolutionizing Sustainable Textiles: Self-Pigmenting Bacterial Cellulose for Fashion and Beyond

The Environmental Impact of the Textile Industry

The textile and leather industries have long been associated with significant environmental harm. From greenhouse gas emissions produced by agricultural production and industrial processing to water pollution from tanning and dyeing, the environmental consequences of textile manufacturing are far-reaching. Additionally, the widespread use of synthetic fibers leads to microplastic pollution, as these materials shed tiny particles into the environment during washing. With growing awareness of these issues, the demand for more sustainable and environmentally friendly textile alternatives is rapidly increasing.

The Rise of Sustainable Biomaterials

To mitigate the impact of traditional textile and leather production, sustainable biomaterials are emerging as viable alternatives. Materials like mycelium (fungal-based leather) and plant fiber-based textiles have been successfully developed, offering more eco-friendly options for manufacturing. These biomaterials are often derived from natural sources and require less chemical processing than traditional fabrics, presenting a promising direction for the future of fashion and textiles. However, much of the industry still relies on conventional methods of dyeing and processing, which continue to be environmentally damaging.

The Role of Engineered Living Materials (ELMs)

A new frontier in sustainable materials lies in the field of engineered living materials (ELMs). This innovative area of research uses synthetic biology to reprogram living organisms at the genetic level, enabling them to produce high-performance materials for specific applications. Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by the Komagataeibacter genus of bacteria, is one such promising ELM.

BC is created when bacteria polymerize glucose into cellulose fibers that self-assemble into a dense, interconnected mesh. This material offers numerous advantages, including high tensile strength, high water-holding capacity, and exceptional purity. Furthermore, BC can be grown quickly, inexpensively, and even from waste feedstocks, such as fruit juice or glycerol.

A BC pellicle can be cultivated in just 7–14 days, yielding high quantities (over 10 g/L) from low-cost waste feedstocks such as rotten fruit juice, glycerol, and molasses. This rapid growth and use of waste resources make BC a highly sustainable option for various applications. Moreover, BC boasts exceptional material properties, including high tensile strength, superior water retention, and exceptional purity, which have attracted attention for its use in high-end applications such as acoustic devices, battery separator membranes, and wound healing. As a result, BC has emerged as a perfect “blank slate” for research in engineered living materials (ELMs), offering vast potential for innovation and custom applications.

These inherent qualities also make BC an attractive prototype biomaterial in the design and fashion industries, where sustainable textile production methods are being explored. The ease of cultivation, combined with the fact that BC is produced by culturable, low-risk bacteria, has made it a popular target for genetic modification through synthetic biology. This makes BC an ideal candidate for sustainable textile production, especially in design and fashion.

Genetic Engineering to Enhance Bacterial Cellulose

While BC offers many advantages, its potential can be further enhanced through genetic engineering. By modifying the bacteria that produce BC, researchers can alter its properties at the molecular level. This opens up possibilities for creating BC with customized features, such as the ability to self-pigment without the need for harmful dyeing processes.

In particular, the process of melanin biosynthesis has been integrated into Komagataeibacter bacteria to create self-pigmenting BC. Melanin, the dark pigment found in hair and skin, is stable, non-water-soluble, and resistant to heat and UV light. By introducing the enzyme tyrosinase, which catalyzes the conversion of l-tyrosine into eumelanin, researchers have successfully engineered a strain of Komagataeibacter capable of producing melanin-enriched BC pellicles.

The Benefits of Melanin-Enriched Bacterial Cellulose

The incorporation of eumelanin into BC offers multiple benefits. Not only does it color the BC in a sustainable, low-impact manner, but it also enhances the material’s durability and UV protection. Eumelanin is known for its stability and ability to resist heat, making it a durable alternative to conventional dyes that often fade over time. Furthermore, melanin has additional properties, such as electrical conductivity, which could open up new applications for BC beyond textiles.

The production of melanin-enriched BC in Komagataeibacter also has important implications for scaling up production. By creating large quantities of pigmented BC, it becomes possible to prototype fashion products with customized pigmentation and high-performance material properties, all without relying on harmful chemical dyeing processes.

The Role of Optogenetics in Textile Design

Beyond simply producing pigmented BC, the integration of optogenetics—a technique that uses light to control gene expression—adds another layer of customization. Through optogenetic tools, researchers can control which genes are activated in the growing BC pellicle, allowing for patterned textiles that display varying levels of pigmentation or material properties. This ability to control gene expression in response to light opens up new possibilities for designing textiles with intricate patterns, customized colors, and specialized functionalities.

A Sustainable Future for Textiles

The development of self-pigmenting bacterial cellulose is a major step forward in the pursuit of sustainable textiles. By eliminating the need for chemical dyeing and reducing environmental impacts associated with traditional fabric production, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the fashion and textile industries. The combination of genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and living materials represents a new class of textiles—one that is both environmentally friendly and high-performing.

As the field continues to evolve, biomaterials like BC may become the go-to choice for designers and manufacturers looking to create eco-friendly products. With advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, the future of textiles looks increasingly promising—offering not just sustainable solutions, but also innovative, customizable materials for a wide range of industries. The future of fashion may very well be living, engineered, and self-pigmenting.

Source Article:
Walker, K. T., Li, I. S., Keane, J., Goosens, V. J., Song, W., Lee, K.-Y., & Ellis, T. (2024). Self-pigmenting textiles grown from cellulose-producing bacteria with engineered tyrosinase expression. Nature Communications, 15(1), 1234.
Open Access | Published: 02 April 2024