Computers can now read and write with DNA.

We can all access the profile of our genome and microbiomes. At the intersection of design, science, urban agriculture, brewing, cooking, 3d printing, making, even gardening, living cells are becoming the factories of the future. From the most ancient methods of culturing products to the latest techniques in synthetic biology, we’re starting to reimagine our surrounding world through a biological lens.

We have all seen how a lab-grown virus destroyed the world. Finally, the antidote was also manufactured in the lab.

In nature, there are biological processes that create and sustain life and materials in a naturally efficient and organic manner. They maintain an equilibrium that only draws the energy required and creates by-products that support other life. This is in contrast to the synthetic creation of materials, which are imbalanced in the sense that they harm rather than support other life and require disproportionate levels of energy for relatively small outputs.

Everything we wear, from clothes and accessories to jewelry, is ‘fashioned’ from matter found in the world around us, in the raw materials of which they are made, in the energy used to produce and transport them, and often in their design inspiration yet paradoxically, fashion’s continuous celebration of nature is matched by its destruction of the environment.

The natural world that is so often glorified in fashion designs—the world that, in a sense, fashion’s very livelihood depends on—is the same world that the industry has helped to annihilate.

The fashion industry, like many others, is struggling to satisfy competing demands for performance and sustainability. On one hand, consumers want products with better performance properties, and on the other, they are demanding more sustainable materials and production methods. Traditional materials cannot meet both demands but “Bio fabricated” materials can.

Take a look at the tag of your shirt and chances are you will see the words "polyester" or "nylon," the synthetic fibers floating on the market alongside cotton since around World War II.

They are cheap, stretchy, and stain-resistant—but derived from fossil fuel hydrocarbons, so unlike cotton, silk, wool, and leather that decompose over time, they last an eternity in landfills.

But those natural, biodegradable fibers have a downside too: derived from farmed plants and animals, they take a significant toll on the planet. So, what if scientists could hack the biology within cells, and use them to make fibers? Think of the possibilities: perfect sheets of leather of any color, thickness, pattern, and size; silk that stretches; and cotton that communicates with your smartphone.

Then is biotechnology the future of fashion?

But what is biotechnology?

At its simplest, biotechnology-based on biology- harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for more than 6000 years to make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to preserve dairy products.
If this happens, then the fashion and beauty industries will benefit from a biological revolution that could transform value chains, change society, and potentially mitigate pressure on the environment.

As scientific breakthroughs unfold, we can expect trends in science and technology that will power a biological revolution helping us improve our understanding of biological processes, and then engineer components such as DNA, RNA, and proteins.

With the ability to engineer these components, the ability to edit human, plant, and animal DNA in a basic biology lab will happen. Added to this we have seen that human interest is beginning to mount in studying the microbiome — microbes that live on and in the body that collectively have more genetic material than the human genome. In all these areas, there are potential uses in the fashion and beauty industry.

In the case of DNA sequencing, the world is already witnessing what is becoming a game-changer. The cost of sequencing the first human genome was almost $3 billion; in 2019 it cost less than $1,000, and that could be shaved to less than $100 in a decade.

This falling cost will pave a new frontier for fashion textiles numerous smaller companies that can now experiment with aspects of the biological revolution.
Going forwards, omics and molecular technologies could also play a role in smart textiles. I read somewhere that a lab in the UK has made live bacteria that naturally react to moisture and produce a breathable “second skin” suit.
Imagine the genetic code in the material which can focus on healing, enabling garments to repair themselves. The material can also act like glue, which minimizes microfibres shredding during washing and reduces the flow of microplastics into the oceans.

With the cost of microbe DNA sequencing falling, there is potential for improved and personalized products and services in this area. While not yet commercialized, gene editing techniques could make a mark in the beauty industry, enhancing interventions in areas such as hair loss and skin aging.

Who knows that with all the research undergoing, tomorrow’s apparel could potentially be bioengineered—that is, made from living bacteria, algae, yeast, animal cells, or fungi—which would break down into nontoxic substances when eventually thrown away?
Such methods could reduce waste and pollution, besides being biodegradable, another major benefit, is that many of the organisms involved can be grown to fit molds—producing the precise amount of textile needed to create an article of clothing without generating excess material to discard.
Research may also lead to the development of naturally pigmented bacteria to dye natural and bioengineered textiles. Given this, the new generation of clothing will not be just a means to cover and beautify our bodies, but the new materials will be more sustainable and use natural processes that better protect our bodies and enhance comfort.
Fabrics that will be self-repairing, self-cleaning, preserve energy, superhydrophobic and more. In a way, clothing will interact with our bodies, even reacting to our emotions or the social environment.

In terms of design too, designers may be able to tune the material properties from the molecular level, granting them significantly more control over the final product than is possible with traditional materials.

Factories are closing due to environmental issues, plastic pollution is a big problem and there is only so much land we can use for cotton growth, instead of food. It is time that the fashion industry changes and looks for innovations.

After all, we want a fashion industry that is clean, healthy, and sustainable, for the workers, for the end-users, and for the next generation.

RELATED TOPICS:#Apparel,Sanjay Lal