Growing SCOBY with Local Ecologies

Is Biodesign truly regenerative? Explore the hidden ecologies behind bacterial cellulose and learn to grow SCOBY from scratch. This theoretical and hands-on workshop explores the hidden ecologies behind Biodesign practices, questioning the organisms and feedstocks used in biofabrication, as well as the supply chains and ecological, social, and geopolitical conditions that sustain them. Using bacterial cellulose as a case study, we will explore how fundamental research can incorporate biodiversity into growing material practices and inform situated biomaterial production. Drawing on laboratory and field research conducted in Germany and Thailand, the workshop will present recent findings on alternative plant-based media for SCOBY growth and methods to forage local plants and cellulose-producing microbes. In the practical session, participants will follow a protocol designed to establish the conditions for growing a SCOBY “from scratch”, without utilizing Kombucha SCOBY, nor the fermented tea. What you will gain: A critical framework for understanding how fundamental research can support the translation of regenerative principles into Biodesign practice, an overview of methods to experiment with alternative plant-based media for SCOBY growth, and practical knowledge to grow spontaneous SCOBY from situated plant and microbial ecologies. Please note: For the practical session, bring a jar (between 500ml and 1L) and ORGANIC fruit (200-300g) of your choice. Edible plant samples and derived extracts, dry pellicles grown in comparative experiments, wet pellicles and inocula of a mixed culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY) and of a single G. Hansenii strain_@RichardLey2024 Production of fruit cider vinegar with Thai fruits by Tanyaporn Tantasathien_May2024_@emmasicher Meet your instructor Emma Sicher is a transdisciplinary designer, fermenter, lecturer, and TEDx speaker working at the intersection of living materials, fermentation, and food. With over ten years of experience, she is an established practitioner and researcher in SCOBY fermentation and bacterial cellulose. Projects she worked on have been exhibited internationally, including at the Vitra Design Museum, V&A Dundee, and ADI Design Museum. Her doctoral research combines Biodesign, microbiology, and field research to investigate how SCOBY cultivation can be grounded in situated ecologies and forms of knowledge. She is currently affiliated with the Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the Institut für Materialdesign (IMD) of the HfG Offenbach am Main in Germany. @seeker_biodesign Extra Info Accessibility Statement: Lifefabs Institute is committed to ensuring that our events and workshops are as accessible as possible and meet the ever-changing needs of our community. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges of our workshops, we are constantly learning and adjusting our workflows to prioritise accessibility. We’d love to hear any feedback our community might have. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any specific accessibility requirements or questions. Seating: Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at [email protected] and we'd be more than happy to help. Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing [email protected] Support to Attend Our Events & Workshops Lifefabs Institute may be able to offer financial assistance to enable adults or children to participate in our events and activities if this would otherwise be financially difficult. Please contact our team: [email protected] and we will aim to agree a reduction or bursary or wavier your fee free of charge.