Meet the designer duo from Rotterdam whom we have known and admired for years! Laura and Ilfa are specialized in bio-dyeing with bacteria. Throughout 2021-2022 we finally found the opportunity to work together on an exciting project.
Speed-dating in a biorefinery – part 2
Working closely with brilliant young designers and researchers comes close to our heart ever since we started VTL in 2017. Last November we had a chance to host Julia Kaleta from Amsterdam in our Viennese lab, just before the new lockdown measures were announced. Here is the final part of Julia’s personal blog about what she learned from our team members.
The Ars Electronica Festival Linz 2021: Where microbe enthusiasts meet and look into the future
Our technology and expertise play a vital role in the rise of new aesthetic projects towards sustainable clothing. Here is the review of our Ars Electronica 2021 exhibition visit through the eyes of our founder Karin at one of the world’s most important media art festivals.
On the hunt – A very special calling.
inception in 2017, VTL cooperates with the bacteriograph and bacteria hunter Erich Schopf from Vienna, Austria. Erich has accumulated a huge treasure trove of different, intensely coloring bacteria over 20 years. We invited Erich for an interview to tell us how he discovered his passion for collecting bacteria and what he learned from working with microorganisms.
Projects we love: The Atlas of Sustainable Colours by Julia Kaleta
Julia Kaleta is a sustainable colour researcher on a mission to create a compendium of shades and tones made with plants and bacteria.
A miraculous red polenta!
Have you wondered which other colours are there to be found in microorganisms? Let’s have a look at a bacterium that shines bright pink to blood-red. It has intrigued scientists and artists alike for more than a century and has maybe affected human history for much longer!
The Discovery of Chromobacteria
Following our introduction to natural sources of dyes, let’s take a closer look at a specific example: a long-known family of purple bacteria called Chromobacterium. Read along to find out how it was discovered and where to find it.
New natural dye resources on the rise: algae, fungi and bacteria
Natural dye resources are generally associated with plants, flowers, fruits, some people might think even beyond that. Latest developments in biotech research, however, add algae, fungi and bacteria to the list of resources for natural, biodegradable pigments.
We Love Bacteria
Bacteria were first discovered and scientifically studied in the 17th century, and although many hundred years have passed since then, and much has been done in research and science, it is believed that the majority of bacteria found on our planet are neither known nor described.