I've always tended to think of materials

我想的材料總是

something like this,

像這樣

or this,

或這樣

or maybe this.

又或許是這樣

But then I met a biologist,

但後來我遇見一位生物學家

and now I think of materials like this --

現在我想的材料是這樣

green tea, sugar,

綠茶 糖

a few microbes and a little time.

些許微生物跟一點時間

I'm essentially using a kombucha recipe,

基本上 我是用一種紅茶菌配方

which is a symbiotic mix

這是一種共生混合物

of bacteria, yeasts and other micro-organisms,

其中有細菌 酵母和其它微生物

which spin cellulose

他們會製造纖維素

in a fermentation process.

於發酵過程中

Over time, these tiny threads

隨著時間的經過 這些細絲

form in the liquid into layers

會在液體中形成層次

and produce a mat on the surface.

並在表面產生一塊墊子

So we start by brewing the tea.

我們從煮茶開始

I brew up to about 30 liters of tea at a time,

我每次要煮30公升的茶

and then while it's still hot, add a couple of kilos of sugar.

然後在茶還熱時 加入幾公斤糖

We stir this in until it's completely dissolved

我們將糖攪拌到完全溶解

and then pour it into a growth bath.

然後將它倒入一個生長池

We need to check that the temperature

我們需要確認溫度

has cooled to below 30 degrees C.

已經降到攝氏30度以下

And then we're ready to add the living organism.

然後我們就可以加入這些活生物

And along with that, some acetic acid.

同時加入一些醋酸

And once you get this process going,

一旦你讓這個步驟開始運作

you can actually recycle

你其實可以回收再利用

your previous fermented liquid.

你先前發酵的液體

We need to maintain an optimum temperature for the growth.

我們需要維持一個生長最佳溫度

And I use a heat mat to sit the bath on

於是在生長池下放了發熱墊

and a thermostat to regulate it.

並用恆溫器控制溫度

And actually, in hot weather, I can just grow it outside.

天氣熱時 其實我可以在戶外培養它

So this is my mini fabric farm.

這是我的迷你布料農場

After about three days,

經過大概三天

the bubbles will appear on the surface of the liquid.

泡泡會出現在液體表面

So this is telling us that the fermentation is in full swing.

這告訴我們它正在全力發酵

And the bacteria are feeding

細菌正在食用

on the sugar nutrients in the liquid.

液體中糖的養分

So they're spinning these tiny nano fibers

他們在製造這些細小的奈米纖維

of pure cellulose.

成份是純纖維素

And they're sticking together, forming layers

它們會黏在一起 形成層次

and giving us a sheet on the surface.

並在表面出現一張薄片

After about two to three weeks,

經過約二至三個禮拜

we're looking at something which is about an inch in thickness.

我們會看到約一英吋厚的東西

So the bath on the left is after five days,

左邊的池子是經過5天的

and on the right, after 10.

右邊是經過10天的

And this is a static culture.

這是一個靜態的培養

You don't have to do anything to it;

你不需要為它做任何事

you just literally watch it grow.

你只要看著它生長

It doesn't need light.

它不需要光線

And when it's ready to harvest, you take it out of the bath

可以採收時 你就把它從池中取出

and you wash it in cold, soapy water.

用冷肥皂水清洗

At this point, it's really heavy.

這時 它是非常重的

It's over 90 percent water,

超過百分之90是水份

so we need to let that evaporate.

我們需要讓水份蒸發

So I spread it out onto a wooden sheet.

所以我將它攤開在木片上

Again, you can do that outside

同樣地 這你能在戶外做

and just let it dry in the air.

讓它在空氣中乾燥

And as it's drying, it's compressing,

在乾燥時 它會緊縮

so what you're left with, depending on the recipe,

結果全看你用的配方

is something that's either

結果可能是

like a really light-weight, transparent paper,

非常輕的透明紙張

or something which is much more like a flexible vegetable leather.

或是有彈性的植物皮革

And then you can either cut that out

接著你可以裁剪它

and sew it conventionally,

然後用一般的方法縫紉它

or you can use the wet material

或使用濕材料

to form it around a three-dimensional shape.

繞著一個立體的形狀塑形

And as it evaporates,

當它在蒸發的時候

it will knit itself together, forming seams.

它自己會接合在一起並形成接縫

So the color in this jacket is coming purely from green tea.

這件夾克的顏色完全來自綠茶

I guess it also looks a little bit like human skin,

我猜它看起來有點像人皮

which intrigues me.

而這使我覺得有趣

Since it's organic,

因為它是有機的

I'm really keen to try and minimize the addition of any chemicals.

我非常想試著將化學添加物減到最少

I can make it change color without using dye

我不用染料就能改變它的顏色

by a process of iron oxidation.

用的是一道氧化鐵的程序

Using fruit and vegetable staining,

使用水果和蔬菜著色

create organic patterning.

來製造出有機圖樣

And using indigo,

使用靛藍染料

make it anti-microbial.

來使它抗菌

And in fact, cotton

事實上 棉花

would take up to 18 dips in indigo

要靛藍染料中浸泡到18次

to achieve a color this dark.

才能有這麼深的顏色

And because of the super-absorbency of this kind of cellulose,

因為這種纖維素的超級吸收力

it just takes one, and a really short one at that.

它只需要浸泡一次 而且時間還很短

What I can't yet do is make it water-resistant.

我還不能使它抗水

So if I was to walk outside in the rain

所以 如果我今天要行走在雨中

wearing this dress today,

而且還穿著這件衣服

I would immediately start to absorb

我會馬上開始吸收

huge amounts of water.

大量的水

The dress would get really heavy,

這件衣服會變得非常重

and eventually the seams would probably fall apart --

最後接縫可能會散開

leaving me feeling rather naked.

讓我變得相當赤裸

Possibly a good performance piece,

這衣服可能是不錯的表演服

but definitely not ideal for everyday wear.

但絕不適合每天穿

What I'm looking for

我在尋找

is a way to give the material

方法來給這材料

the qualities that I need.

我需要的特性

So what I want to do is say to a future bug,

所以我想對未來的細菌說

"Spin me a thread.

吐一條絲給我

Align it in this direction.

按這個方向排列

Make it hydrophobic.

讓它具有疏水性

And while you're at it,

同時

just form it around this 3D shape."

繞著這個立體的形狀塑形

Bacterial cellulose is actually already being used for wound healing,

細菌纖維素已被應用在愈合傷口上

and possibly in the future

或許未來

for biocompatible blood vessels,

在具生物相容性的血管上

possibly even replacement bone tissue.

甚至可能在替代骨頭組織上

But with synthetic biology,

但使用合成生物學

we can actually imagine engineering this bacterium

我們其實能想象設計細菌

to produce something

來製造一些

that gives us the quality,

有品質

quantity and shape

有份量 而且形狀

of material that we desire.

是我們想要的東西

Obviously, as a designer, that's really exciting

身為設計師 這當然非常令人興奮

because then I start to think, wow,

因為我接著就會開始想 哇

we could actually imagine

我們其實能想象

growing consumable products.

生長消費性產品

What excites me about using microbes

使用微生物最讓我興奮的是

is their efficiency.

它們的效率

So we only grow what we need.

我們只需要生長我們所需的

There's no waste.

不會形成浪費

And in fact, we could make it from a waste stream --

我們其實能利用廢棄物來做這件事

so for example,

舉例來說

a waste sugar stream

廢棄的糖水

from a food processing plant.

能從食物處理工廠取得

Finally, at the end of use, we could biodegrade it naturally

最後用完後 我們能讓它自然生物降解

along with your vegetable peelings.

跟你那些蔬菜皮一樣

What I'm not suggesting is that microbial cellulose

我不是在說微生物纖維素

is going to be a replacement

講會取代

for cotton, leather or other textile materials.

棉花 皮革或其它紡織品材料

But I do think it could be quite a smart and sustainable addition

但我認為它是相當聰明且永續的新材料

to our increasingly precious natural resources.

對我們日趨珍貴的自然資源來說

Ultimately, maybe it won't even be fashion

它或許最終不會在時尚界

where we see these microbes have their impact.

讓我們看見這些微生物的影響力

We could, for example, imagine

我們能夠想象 例如是

growing a lamp, a chair,

生長一座臺燈 一張椅子

a car or maybe even a house.

一輛車 或甚至一棟房子

So I guess what my question to you is:

所以我想問你們

in the future, what would you choose to grow?

未來你們會選擇去生長什麼

Thank you very much.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Bruno Giussani: Suzanne, just a curiosity,

布諾•吉商尼: 蘇珊 讓我很快問個問題

what you're wearing is not random. (Suzanne Lee: No.)

你今天的衣服不是隨便搭的 (蘇珊•李: 沒錯)

This is one of the jackets you grew?

這件是你生長的夾克嗎?

SL: Yes, it is.

蘇珊•李: 是的 沒錯

It's probably -- part of the project's still in process

這大概是一個進行中的企劃的部分

because this one

因為這件

is actually biodegrading in front of your eyes.

其實正在你們面前進行生物降解

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

It's absorbing my sweat, and it's feeding on it.

它正在吸收我的汗 而且正在吃它

BG: Okay, so we'll let you go and save it, and rescue it.

布諾•吉商尼: 好吧 你快去維護並拯救它

Suzanne Lee. (SL: Thank you.)

謝謝你 蘇珊•李 (蘇珊•李: 謝謝.)

(Applause)

(掌聲)