Living Morphogenesis Bacteria-Driven Form Exploration through Aeration Scaffolding

Increasing interest in living materials has pushed scientists and designers to explore the potential of fungi, algae, yeast, and bacteria as part of the fabrication process. The microbially-produced biopolymer, bacterial cellulose (BC), shows great potential as an alternative building material due to its high durability, tensile strength, moisture resistance, and lightweight nature. Current BC fabrication methods primarily involve post-processing the naturally forming flat material after its growth phase. This research investigates an approach into co-designing with cellulose-producing bacteria to explore its morphogenetic tendencies in order to create intricate 3-dimensional forms. This paper looks at a fabrication approach that diverges from conventional BC material production towards form-finding by creating explorative methods that guide BC formation through the control of airflow. We present an experimental workflow with a bacteria and yeast that employs a strategy to identify parameters for guiding the morphological development of BC. To capture the form of the delicate material samples, a multi-step preservation process was developed, providing data on both the external and internal structure of the material. Photographic documentation of the growth process enabled the categorization of bacterial behavior in response to distinct environmental stimuli. Based on these observations, a set of design principles was established to allow us to predict the morphological development of BC growth within a bioreactor. These experiments address a new type of unconventional computational approach to form-finding by studying the native growth mechanism of living bacteria, and offering a new perspective on our design engagement with these processes.