Bio-designed shoes are ‘grown’ from bacteria

Bio-designer Jennifer Keane is working with the k.rhaeticus bacteria that “naturally grow a tiny fiber called nanocellulose, which is eight times stronger than steel and stiffer than Kevlar^®, transparent and incredibly lightweight,” she says. Ultimately, she’s learned how to manipulate how
it naturally grows, using it in a process she calls “microbial weaving” to create a shoe upper in a single piece that she’s named “This is grown.” The cellulosic material also offers potential for customization and application in numerous industries from high-performance composites to biomedical applications, Keane says. Photo: Adam Toth.