Synthetic Protection: Biointelligent Membranes by CathrineDisney from uk
designer's own words:
Set in the year 2100, this dystopian speculative textiles project is based on the disastrous effects of global warming. By this time, the consequences of global warming are so severe that conventional clothing is no longer an appropriate form of protection for the human body. The unpredictable extremes of weather have created the need for materials to be environmentally responsive. These Biointelligent Membranes are based on principles of Synthetic Biology, designed in conversation with Biochemical Engineer, Dr Darren Nesbeth, of UCL.
Inspiration for the project came from a deep personal concern for the future of our planet. I believe that the unrestricted burning of fossil fuels may have already had a lasting impact on our planet and it may be too late to reverse the severe consequences that lay ahead. By the year 2100, it’s predicted that if the ice barrier in Greenland continues melting and eventually breaks, the fresh water from the melting polar ice caps will flood into the Northern Atlantic and shut off the gulf stream, sending Europe into an ice-age in less than 3 years from it’s onset. On the opposite end of the scale, if the increase in more frequent and intense heat waves continue, several of the lakes in the USA supplying the countries water will completely dry up, resulting in inhabitable desertification of the majority of Western USA.
The functions and aesthetics of the biointelligent membrane were inspired by nature. For example, in extreme cold conditions, I have taken inspiration from polar bears, and in extreme heat, reptiles. In order to visualise this dystopian future, I created a series of samples and a short film that demonstrates step by step the responses and behaviours of the biointelligent membrane.
The material used to creative the biointelligent membrane was a homemade bioplastic recipe. I chose to use this material because my long-term aim is to create real living material. I want to create a material that can sustain an environmentally responsive organism, part of my on-going research is to create a recipe for a material that contains the all right nutrients and is 100% biodegradable.
The Biointelligent Membrane contains genetically modified organisms that can respond to our environment.
In an ice-age climate where temperatures rapidly decrease, the Biointelligent Membrane begins to produce a layer of insulating fibres that matt together to protect the wearer. It then produces a layer of fibres that are longer in length, hollow, allowing the air to be warmed by the sun and sent to the skin, and oily to prevent water from penetrating the skin.
In extreme heat as temperatures rise, the Biointelligent Membrane forms an opaque surface on the skin, capable of blocking out the Suns harmful rays and radiating heat away from the body. The scales of the Biointelligent Membrane open up, allowing the body to cool and breathe.
When the environment begins to stabilise, the Biointelligent Membrane triggers a shedding response, returning to its original state, ready for the cycle to begin again.