Junior Workshop Highlights

The inspiration: Over the summer, I had been doing some work at Cooper Union to create sustainable sound paneling using mycelium. Through that, I learned a little bit more about biomaterials and different ways that you can use natural resources and sustainable alternatives. I really enjoy clothing and fashion too, but fabric waste is a major environmental concern. I found that some companies are exploring using SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) biofilm to make compostable fabric that can be ethically disposed of. A lot of the research on SCOBY is not accessible to the public, so I thought I'd tried to figure out a way to make that happen by creating my own vegan leather. 

The process:  I started with a lot of research: lab reports, TED Talks, anything on SCOBY, and then I compiled the information I had collected. Using that knowledge, I was able to create my own lab procedure, which I refined with the help of my Junior Workshop advisor. I next carried out two experiments: after the first one, I edited my lab procedure, then conducted the second one. At the end I had a prototype for the vegan leather, which was really exciting. Throughout the project, I used some of the skills I learned in biology and chemistry, but also just generally the approach to science. There were things that didn't always go right, and the first time around there were a lot of mistakes, but making mistakes is science. That's how you learn and how you're able to grow your experiment.

What I learned: I learned so much about science overall and the process of experimental design. I was able to create my own experiment, which I had never done before. Junior Workshop gave me the opportunity to do research and tweak my experiment, while adding my own ideas. The project helped me with my understanding of science as a whole and highlighted the goal of experiments.

What's next: I really enjoyed being able to create my own lab and learning about biomaterials, sustainability and biochemistry. I would love to continue researching and pursuing the field in college. I think it's a really promising field; there are so many areas where we could utilize more sustainable alternatives.