Blass

What: A new type of 3D printing that uses bacteria to bind silica powder into glass products. Why: Nature can be a great inspiration for sustainable innovations. Traditional glass production requires a lot of heat. Binding silica with the help of bacteria would allow cold production of glass, minimising CO2 emissions, while making the process less labour intensive and more cost efficient. How: This is still a speculative project, inspired by the use of bacteria to form bio-concrete from sand. More research is needed to find the right type of bacteria to solidify silica into glass. When found, the process would create unique products, because even if the 3D printing software can be fully controlled, the bacteria can’t.