Xylinum

A stool of spores

What could future materials and production processes be like?

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Xylinum - The properties of this material can be adjusted by changing the genetic code of the organisms. Photo by Samuel Henne, found on http://www.jannishuelsen.com/?/work/xylium/ [Jannis Huelsen's] website

Jannis Huelsen's project is based on a bacterium which produces an artificial cellulose material. This bacterium counsumes sugar and builds a cellulose fibre structure around any given form. Since the process takes place in a nutrition liquid, the wet material can be dryed later on, resulting in a durable and 100 % biodegradable material. The properties of this material can be adjusted by changing the genetic code of the organisms. In collaboration with the company Jenpolymers , a technique was developed to create a »skin« around a wooden stool frame, forming the coating and seating surface.