Future Fashion Tea Shirts

The leathery material made from tea is very light and can be used to make shirts, jackets, clothes and even shoes.

Scientists at the Imperial College London in London and the London School of art and design jointly developed this kind of tea clothing material. With the increasing demand for traditional clothing materials such as cotton, wool and leather, this innovative tea garment fabric is a kind of material that does not destroy the ecological environment and sustainable material, and plays a very important role in the clothing industry.

These tea clothing materials exist in green tea solution mixed with sugar and other nutrients. After a few days, the material can grow and grow.

Adding some bacteria in green tea solution can produce longer fibers.

When the green tea solution is dried, it will become a structure similar to papyrus. However, after being processed, dyed and molded, the material can form different textures and effects.

Professor Paul Freemont, a molecular biologist at Imperial College London in London, said: "these bacteria can naturally form filaments, and filaments gather together to float on the surface of green tea solution." (Paul Freemont)

However, this material is very uneven and highly arranged at will. We need the corresponding manufacturing process to arrange it orderly.

Once they dry, they feel very leather like and hard.

It's not easy to tear it up. "

A strain of Acetobacter sp. (Acetobacter) can induce the green tea solution to form filaments. After two to three weeks, these fibers are aggregated together to form thin, moist silk chips, which become very hard when dried.

Based on this research, Suzanne Lee, a senior designer at the London School of art and design, has used the material to make clothes.

Suzanne said that this design idea stems from the inspiration that many years ago talked with a biologist.

"This biologist explains that microorganisms can be used to spin filaments and make it form a fabric like material," she said.

Professor Alexander Bismarck, a professor of materials at Imperial College London in London, and Professor Paul Freemont (Paul Freemont), introduced the bacterial genes producing fiber filaments, and used artificial biotechnology to produce more bacteria. Alexander, a professor of materials in, was introduced into the laboratory.

They believe that this method increases the production efficiency of fiber yarn and forms new properties of the material.

Fremont said, at present, the clothing materials need to overcome some challenges in the market. He stressed that because the material was formed by bacteria in green tea solution, its odor would not be very pleasant. This problem needs to be solved.