From Mango Waste to Fashion Runways: Interview with Polybion

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As the Dutch Design Week 2024 edges closer, one of the notable biodesign works that we would like to preview, is a work by brothers Axel & Alexis Gómez Ortigoza, and their team at Polybion. Celium™ ¹ is an innovative bio-fabric crafted from cellulose grown by bacteria that feed on farm waste materials² . As one of the winners of the 'Redesign Everything Challenge' hosted by What Design Can Do, and backed by Secrid; their innovative work is also on display at this year’s showcase.

In an exclusive interview, we had the chance to chat with Axel, unpacking the story behind Celium™. Check out our conversation below.

Axel, what was your initial reaction to seeing the transformation of materials into innovative textiles, and what inspired you to explore this avenue in material development?

My initial reaction was a combination of amazement and curiosity. It’s one thing to imagine turning waste into something useful, but to actually witness something like mango waste being transformed into a high-performance material was surreal.

It felt like the future of materials was right in front of us. As every step of the process adds to the transformation of the material, from something very subtle and delicate into something sturdy, with high performance.

The inspiration came from seeing the massive amount of waste generated in agriculture and realizing the potential to tap into biology to create materials that are not only functional but also sustainable. The idea of harnessing natural processes, rather than relying on petrochemicals or animal-based materials, really drove us to pursue this path.

How do you envision the progression of biology’s role in shaping the future of eco materials? Could you share some obstacles you've encountered while blending these disciplines together?

Biology is already revolutionizing material science, and I think we’re only scratching the surface. As we move forward, I believe biology will help us unlock more sustainable and scalable material solutions. The ability to grow materials, rather than extract or synthesize them through harmful processes, is where the future lies.

However, blending biology with design and technology comes with its challenges. One obstacle is the unpredictable nature of biological systems—cells don’t always behave the way you want them to, especially at scale.

Then there’s the challenge of integrating these natural processes into existing manufacturing systems that are primarily built around synthetic materials. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole sometimes.

What about exploring the potential of working with various kinds of waste materials? How does the selection of feedstock influence the characteristics of the end product?

That’s a great question. The type of feedstock we use does not impact the material properties of Celium™. That’s the promise of biology, it’s unparalleled versatility.

Since all kinds of food waste we use contain sugars and since Celium™ itself is not made of the waste, but instead of cellulose produced by the bacteria by feeding off the waste, then it becomes obvious why this is the case.

We’re constantly experimenting with different agro-industrial byproducts to see how we can further optimize the process. The goal is to create a material that meets performance expectations while also being adaptable enough to work with various feedstocks.

This flexibility allows us to stay local with our sourcing, which is key to reducing the overall environmental footprint.

What has been the groundbreaking utilization of this material thus far? Are there any prospects or dream applications that you envision for Celium™?

One of the most exciting uses of Celium™ so far has been its integration into high-end fashion products, where designers are really pushing the boundaries of what sustainable materials can do.

Seeing Celium™ in something like a GANNI SS25 runway collection was groundbreaking for us. As for dream applications, we’d love to see Celium™ used in larger-scale, more industrial applications—automotive interiors, for example, or even in sustainable architecture. The material has so much potential beyond fashion, and we’re excited to explore those avenues.

How do you handle the equilibrium between biology’s unpredictability and the precision required to scale up a successful product such as Celium™? Have there been any advancements in this journey?

Balancing biology’s natural variability with the precision needed for large-scale production is probably one of our biggest ongoing challenges. Cells behave unpredictably, especially when you’re scaling from the lab to industrial levels.

But we’ve made significant advancements in process control and biomanufacturing technology that help us reduce this unpredictability. By closely monitoring and tweaking the conditions under which the bacteria grow, we’ve been able to achieve more consistent outcomes.

The key is accepting that biology comes with some uncertainty but leveraging technology to minimize those variations as much as possible. Similar to precision fermentation where fine-tuning and controlling all process variables are necessary to achieve quality control.

Thank you, Axel for sharing the story of Celium™ with us. It’s truly amazing to see how such type of material is leading us towards an eco future: in the fashion industry and beyond. 

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1  Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose, is grown by feeding bacteria with agroindustrial fruit waste. A unique fabric that offers a sustainable approach, and forward-thinking aesthetics. Celium™ can be dyed, embossed and tanned using existing infrastructure, which allows for a lower negative impact to the environment than traditional fabrics. Due to its biological nature, each piece of Celium™ is unique and distinct as a fingerprint.

2  According to Polybion: “We grow Celium™ by feeding bacteria with agro-industrial fruit waste. But first, we set up the perfect environment for the cells to self-organize, and they create the cellulose structure as a metabolic by-product. Once formed, Celium’s cell-based membrane undergoes a sustainable stabilization process to achieve its high-performance characteristics. With zero hazardous chemicals released in any part of the process nor significant biomass outputs between growth cycles, Celium™ is as circular as it gets”.