Aseatobacter (A-Seat-Obacter, like acetobacter xylinum) began as a vision; a vision of fully formed seats and chairs emerging from giant vats of colorful bioengineered bacteria.

Acetobacter naturally produces mats of cellulose that can be used for a variety of purposes. We wanted to create a broader spectrum of materials, so we altered the properties of the cellulose mats by engineering Acetobacter to express enzymes that synthesize N-acetyl glucosamine, a subunit of chitin. The result is a chitin-cellulose copolymer with unique properties. We have also engineered colors into the mats, and demonstrated their use in modern architectural design.

Cloning

Learn about our cloning techniques, protocols, and adventures along the way.

Transforming

How we transformed things before we cloned them.

Growing

See how we learned to grow cellulose in Kombucha tea, and produced sheeting on a large scale.

Designing

Creating functional products out of completely natural materials takes creativity and flare.

Technology

Check out the original software and integrations we created for the Aseatobacter project.

Socializing

Our human practices involved a 500+ response survey and a pop-up shoppe in Brooklyn!