In this project, I explored creating a sustainable alternative to traditional silkscreen dyes. I started by experimenting with vegetable-based dyes, but soon shifted to working with bacteria as a source of color.

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With the help of a nano-biologist, I grew bacteria from my home to see if any of them produced pigments that could be used for screen printing. We would catch the bacteria from my own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom (!). Since bacteria multiply when fed, they could potentially produce the dye on their own, needing only sugar to grow.

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We discovered a bacteria that created a bright pink pigment, but without access to a laboratory, we couldn’t continue the research further.