ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Suzanne Lee - Designer
TED Fellow Suzanne Lee is a fashion designer turned biological conjurer, who gleefully plays with new materials and processes.

Why you should listen

Fashion designer Suzanne Lee directs the BioCouture research project, which sprang from an idea in her book Fashioning the Future: Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, a seminal text on fashion and future technologies. Her research harnesses nature to propose a radical future fashion vision: Can we grow a dress from a vat of liquid?

Using bacterial-cellulose, Lee aims to address pressing ecological and sustainability issues around fashion and beyond. A Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, she is working with scientists to investigate whether synthetic biology can engineer optimized organisms for growing future consumer products

More profile about the speaker
Suzanne Lee | Speaker | TED.com
TED2011

Suzanne Lee: Grow your own clothes

苏珊李:自己种衣服

Filmed:
1,519,065 views

设计师苏珊李和大家分享她的实验成果:用红茶菌培养的生物材料,能被像布料或者植物皮一样用来做衣服。实验的过程是迷人的,实验结果是诱人的(尽管还有个小缺陷),而它的潜力,是令人震惊的。
- Designer
TED Fellow Suzanne Lee is a fashion designer turned biological conjurer, who gleefully plays with new materials and processes. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
So as a fashion时尚 designer设计师,
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作为一名时装设计师
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I've always tended往往 to think of materials物料
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我习惯于考虑用某些材料
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something like this,
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比如这个
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or this,
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或者这种
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or maybe this.
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或者这种
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But then I met会见 a biologist生物学家,
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但当我和一位生物学家谈过
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and now I think of materials物料 like this --
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现在我开始考虑这样的材料——
00:33
green绿色 tea, sugar,
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绿茶,糖
00:35
a few少数 microbes微生物 and a little time.
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一些细菌加上一点时间
00:38
I'm essentially实质上 using运用 a kombucha红茶菌 recipe食谱,
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我基本上用的是红茶菌配方
00:40
which哪一个 is a symbiotic共生 mix混合
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它是一个细菌,真菌
00:42
of bacteria, yeasts酵母菌 and other micro-organisms微生物,
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和其他一些微生物的共生混合物
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which哪一个 spin cellulose纤维素
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在它们发酵时,
00:47
in a fermentation发酵 process处理.
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能纺出纤维素。
00:50
Over time, these tiny threads线程
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时间一长,这些纤细的纤维
00:52
form形成 in the liquid液体 into layers
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能在液体中形成纤维层
00:54
and produce生产 a mat on the surface表面.
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最后在液体表面形成一块垫子
00:59
So we start开始 by brewing酿造 the tea.
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我们从煮茶开始
01:01
I brew酿造 up to about 30 liters of tea at a time,
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我每次煮差不多三十公升的茶
01:04
and then while it's still hot, add a couple一对 of kilos公斤 of sugar.
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当茶还热的时候,加入几公斤糖
01:07
We stir搅拌 this in until直到 it's completely全然 dissolved溶解
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我们搅拌糖直道它完全的溶解
01:10
and then pour it into a growth发展 bath.
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然后把茶倒入一个生长池中
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We need to check that the temperature温度
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我们需要确认温度
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has cooled冷却 to below下面 30 degrees C.
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降到摄氏三十度以下
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And then we're ready准备 to add the living活的 organism生物.
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接着加入活的微生物
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And along沿 with that, some acetic acid.
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同时加入一些醋酸
01:21
And once一旦 you get this process处理 going,
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其实一旦你这个发酵工程
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you can actually其实 recycle回收
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你就可以回收使用
01:25
your previous以前 fermented发酵 liquid液体.
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从前发酵过的液体
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We need to maintain保持 an optimum最佳 temperature温度 for the growth发展.
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我们需要维持一个最适宜生长的温度
01:31
And I use a heat mat to sit the bath on
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我在池子下面垫了一张电热毯,
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and a thermostat恒温器 to regulate调节 it.
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再用一个恒温器来调节电热毯的温度
01:36
And actually其实, in hot weather天气, I can just grow增长 it outside.
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其实,在天热的时候,我能在室外培养
01:39
So this is my mini微型 fabric farm农场.
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这就是我的迷你布料农场
01:41
After about three days,
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大约三天后
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the bubbles泡泡 will appear出现 on the surface表面 of the liquid液体.
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液体表面出现气泡
01:46
So this is telling告诉 us that the fermentation发酵 is in full充分 swing摇摆.
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这就是在告诉我们发酵过程已经全速运转了
01:49
And the bacteria are feeding馈送
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液体中的糖分
01:51
on the sugar nutrients营养成分 in the liquid液体.
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给细菌生长的养分
01:53
So they're spinning纺织 these tiny nano纳米 fibers纤维
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它们开始纺出极纤细的纳米纤维
01:55
of pure cellulose纤维素.
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是极纯的纤维素
01:57
And they're sticking症结 together一起, forming成型 layers
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这些纤维互相粘合,形成纤维层
01:59
and giving us a sheet on the surface表面.
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最终给我们在液体表面一大片纤维布
02:01
After about two to three weeks,
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大约两到三周后
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we're looking at something which哪一个 is about an inch英寸 in thickness厚度.
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我们能看到一英寸厚的纤维毯
02:06
So the bath on the left is after five days,
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左边的池子是发酵了五天的
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and on the right, after 10.
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右边的是十天后的
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And this is a static静态的 culture文化.
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这都是静态培养
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You don't have to do anything to it;
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你不需要做任何事
02:15
you just literally按照字面 watch it grow增长.
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就看它长就好了
02:17
It doesn't need light.
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这也不需要光线
02:19
And when it's ready准备 to harvest收成, you take it out of the bath
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当是采收的时候,你把纤维毯从池子中拿出来
02:22
and you wash it in cold, soapy肥皂水 water.
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在冷的肥皂水里洗洗
02:24
At this point, it's really heavy.
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这是纤维毯是很重的
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It's over 90 percent百分 water,
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九成都是水份
02:28
so we need to let that evaporate蒸发.
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我们需要把水份蒸发出来
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So I spread传播 it out onto a wooden sheet.
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所以我把纤维毯铺在一块木板上
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Again, you can do that outside
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同样地,你可以把它晾在户外
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and just let it dry in the air空气.
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在空气中风干就好了
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And as it's drying烘干, it's compressing压缩,
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当纤维毯风干时,它会缩水
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so what you're left with, depending根据 on the recipe食谱,
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所以根据你用的配方,你可能得到
02:40
is something that's either
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的结果或者是
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like a really light-weight重量轻的, transparent透明 paper,
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非常轻的透明的纸张
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or something which哪一个 is much more like a flexible灵活 vegetable蔬菜 leather皮革.
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或者是弹性十足的像植物皮一样的东西
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And then you can either cut that out
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你可以用它剪裁
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and sew it conventionally传统,
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照惯例缝纫
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or you can use the wet湿 material材料
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或者用湿的材料
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to form形成 it around a three-dimensional三维 shape形状.
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包在三维的物体外面塑形
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And as it evaporates蒸发,
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当材料风干的时候
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it will knit针织 itself本身 together一起, forming成型 seams接缝.
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它自己会粘连,缝合在一起。
03:01
So the color颜色 in this jacket夹克 is coming未来 purely纯粹 from green绿色 tea.
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这件夹克的颜色就是绿茶的颜色
03:04
I guess猜测 it also looks容貌 a little bit like human人的 skin皮肤,
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我觉得它看起来有点像人皮做的
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which哪一个 intrigues尔虞我诈 me.
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让我很有兴趣
03:09
Since以来 it's organic有机,
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既然这是有机材料
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I'm really keen敏锐 to try and minimize最小化 the addition加成 of any chemicals化学制品.
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我试图少加化学物质进来
03:14
I can make it change更改 color颜色 without using运用 dye染料
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我能不通过燃料而改变它的颜色
03:17
by a process处理 of iron oxidation氧化.
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而是用铁氧化的方式。
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Using运用 fruit水果 and vegetable蔬菜 staining染色,
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或者用水果和蔬菜的色素
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create创建 organic有机 patterning图案.
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做出有机图样
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And using运用 indigo靛青,
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或者使用靛蓝
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make it anti-microbial抗微生物.
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使它抗菌
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And in fact事实, cotton
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事实上,棉织品
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would take up to 18 dips骤降 in indigo靛青
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要在靛蓝中染十八次
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to achieve实现 a color颜色 this dark黑暗.
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才能染成这个颜色
03:34
And because of the super-absorbency超吸收性 of this kind of cellulose纤维素,
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因为这个纤维素的材料吸收力特强
03:37
it just takes one, and a really short one at that.
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只要快速染一次就够了
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What I can't yet然而 do is make it water-resistant防水.
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我没做成功的是让它防水
03:43
So if I was to walk步行 outside in the rain
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如果我现在在雨里走走
03:46
wearing穿着 this dress连衣裙 today今天,
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穿今天的这件夹克
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I would immediately立即 start开始 to absorb吸收
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我会马上开始吸水
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huge巨大 amounts of water.
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很多很多水份
03:53
The dress连衣裙 would get really heavy,
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这件衣服会变得很重
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and eventually终于 the seams接缝 would probably大概 fall秋季 apart距离 --
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最后全开线——
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leaving离开 me feeling感觉 rather naked.
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让我觉得露太多
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Possibly或者 a good performance性能 piece,
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它有很好的表演效果
04:01
but definitely无疑 not ideal理想 for everyday每天 wear穿.
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但是绝对不适合日常的衣着。
04:05
What I'm looking for
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我现在在找一个办法
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is a way to give the material材料
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让这个材料
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the qualities气质 that I need.
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有我想要的质量
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So what I want to do is say to a future未来 bug窃听器,
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我想和未来的细菌说
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"Spin me a thread线.
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”给我一条线
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Align对齐 it in this direction方向.
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让它和我一起解决这些问题。
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Make it hydrophobic疏水.
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让它防水
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And while you're at it,
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同时
04:22
just form形成 it around this 3D shape形状."
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让它绕着这个三维物体塑形”
04:25
Bacterial细菌 cellulose纤维素 is actually其实 already已经 being存在 used for wound伤口 healing复原,
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细菌纤维素已经被用在愈合伤口上
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and possibly或者 in the future未来
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在未来很可能
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for biocompatible生物相容性 blood血液 vessels船只,
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会被用来做成生物兼容性的血管组织
04:34
possibly或者 even replacement替代 bone tissue组织.
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可能还会被用来替换骨组织
04:36
But with synthetic合成的 biology生物学,
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融合合成生物学
04:38
we can actually其实 imagine想像 engineering工程 this bacterium细菌
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我们能想象设计这些细菌
04:42
to produce生产 something
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来做出我们需要的
04:44
that gives us the quality质量,
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有品质,
04:46
quantity数量 and shape形状
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有重量,有形状
04:48
of material材料 that we desire欲望.
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的材料
04:50
Obviously明显, as a designer设计师, that's really exciting扣人心弦
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显然,作为一名设计师,这是很令人兴奋的
04:53
because then I start开始 to think, wow,
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因为我开始想,哇
04:55
we could actually其实 imagine想像
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我们可以想象
04:57
growing生长 consumable耗材 products制品.
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种出可消耗的产品
05:01
What excites的激励 me about using运用 microbes微生物
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微生物学让我兴奋的是
05:04
is their efficiency效率.
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它的高效率
05:06
So we only grow增长 what we need.
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我们能只种我们需要的
05:08
There's no waste浪费.
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那就不会有浪费
05:10
And in fact事实, we could make it from a waste浪费 stream --
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事实上,我们可以用废水来种衣服——
05:13
so for example,
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比如说
05:15
a waste浪费 sugar stream
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废的糖水
05:17
from a food餐饮 processing处理 plant.
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从食物加工场出来的
05:19
Finally最后, at the end结束 of use, we could biodegrade生物降解 it naturally自然
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最后,在用完后,我们还可以自然地把它们降解
05:22
along沿 with your vegetable蔬菜 peelings削皮.
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就和你的瓜果菜皮一起
05:25
What I'm not suggesting提示 is that microbial微生物 cellulose纤维素
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我并不是说要用微生物的纤维素
05:28
is going to be a replacement替代
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将能够代替
05:30
for cotton, leather皮革 or other textile纺织品 materials物料.
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棉花,皮革或者其他的纺织品
05:33
But I do think it could be quite相当 a smart聪明 and sustainable可持续发展 addition加成
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但我相信对现今日趋珍贵的自然资源来说
05:37
to our increasingly日益 precious珍贵 natural自然 resources资源.
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它会是一个非常巧妙和持续性的辅助物
05:40
Ultimately最终,, maybe it won't惯于 even be fashion时尚
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最终,可能我们不会在时尚界
05:42
where we see these microbes微生物 have their impact碰撞.
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看到这些微生物大展宏图
05:44
We could, for example, imagine想像
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我们可能,比如说,想象用它
05:46
growing生长 a lamp, a chair椅子,
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来种一盏灯,种一把椅子
05:49
a car汽车 or maybe even a house.
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一辆车,或者是一幢房子
05:52
So I guess猜测 what my question to you is:
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我想我给大家的问题是
05:55
in the future未来, what would you choose选择 to grow增长?
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未来,你会选择种什么?
05:57
Thank you very much.
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谢谢大家
05:59
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
06:08
Bruno布鲁诺 Giussani吉萨尼: Suzanne苏珊娜, just a curiosity好奇心,
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布鲁诺 吉萨尼:苏珊,快速问一下
06:10
what you're wearing穿着 is not random随机. (Suzanne苏珊娜 Lee背风处: No.)
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你今天不是随便穿的 (苏珊:不是)
06:13
This is one of the jackets夹克 you grew成长?
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这就是你种出来的夹克?
06:15
SLSL: Yes, it is.
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苏珊:是的,这就是
06:17
It's probably大概 -- part部分 of the project's项目 still in process处理
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这也许--是这项目探索中的一部分,
06:19
because this one
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因为这件织品
06:21
is actually其实 biodegrading生物降解 in front面前 of your eyes眼睛.
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其实在我们面前正在降解
06:23
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
06:25
It's absorbing吸收 my sweat, and it's feeding馈送 on it.
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它在吸收我的汗,从中获得养分
06:28
BGBG: Okay, so we'll let you go and save保存 it, and rescue拯救 it.
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布鲁诺:好好好,我们这就让你下台,你好救回这件夹克
06:30
Suzanne苏珊娜 Lee背风处. (SLSL: Thank you.)
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苏珊李 (苏珊:谢谢)
06:33
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Alison Xiaoqiao Xie
Reviewed by Ralph Jin

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Suzanne Lee - Designer
TED Fellow Suzanne Lee is a fashion designer turned biological conjurer, who gleefully plays with new materials and processes.

Why you should listen

Fashion designer Suzanne Lee directs the BioCouture research project, which sprang from an idea in her book Fashioning the Future: Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, a seminal text on fashion and future technologies. Her research harnesses nature to propose a radical future fashion vision: Can we grow a dress from a vat of liquid?

Using bacterial-cellulose, Lee aims to address pressing ecological and sustainability issues around fashion and beyond. A Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, she is working with scientists to investigate whether synthetic biology can engineer optimized organisms for growing future consumer products

More profile about the speaker
Suzanne Lee | Speaker | TED.com