Berlin-based biodesigner Emma Sicher is pushing the boundaries of material science by experimenting with living substances grown entirely by bacteria and yeast. Transforming microbial cellulose into everything from translucent, flexible packaging to experimental food prototypes, Sicher’s work offers a glimpse into a future where everyday products are not manufactured, but cultivated. Her striking samples—ranging from crinkled sheets resembling pink glass to glossy, gelatinous spheres—owe their unusual colors and textures directly to fermentation, a biological process in which microorganisms actively construct the material itself.
At the core of Sicher’s innovative practice is SCOBY, an acronym for a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast most commonly recognized for its role in brewing kombucha. As these microorganisms thrive within a nutrient-rich liquid medium, cellulose-producing bacteria naturally form a dense, gelatinous membrane directly on the surface. Once harvested, this membrane can be carefully processed into flexible sheets or molded into various configurations tailored for commercial packaging and culinary applications alike.
When Microbial Cellulose Becomes Food
Sicher’s ongoing "EATING SCOBY" project explores the unconventional culinary potential of this cellulose-rich membrane. Developed during her Master of Arts in Eco-Social Design, the extensive research involved close collaborations with food microbiologists and consultations with professional chefs. Among the resulting prototypes are crisp SCOBY chips that deliver an initial crunchy bite before softening into a chewy, slightly gelatinous texture in the mouth. Another imaginative application is an experimental ice cream cone featuring a fiber-based structure that can be lined with an inner coating of melted chocolate.
Further expanding the menu, a double-flavor popsicle pushes the material in an entirely different sensory direction, yielding a consistency that the designer compares to blended aloe vera. By translating microbial cellulose into familiar food formats, Sicher makes an unusual ingredient much easier to envision on a plate while simultaneously unlocking fresh possibilities for texture, presentation, and sustainability. These prototypes remain firmly experimental, serving as vital inquiries into how microbial cellulose might eventually integrate into future food systems.
Packaging Grown from Food Waste
Sicher’s journey with bacterial cellulose began in earnest with her 2017 project, "From Peel to Peel," which proposed a circular solution for sustainable packaging by growing biodegradable wrappers directly from discarded fruits and vegetables. In that early work, discarded apple peels and beetroot scraps served as rich nutrient sources for microbial cultures, yielding thin sheets that could be dried into durable wrappers and small containers. Depending on the specific fruits and vegetables utilized, the resulting packaging naturally adopted a spectrum of organic colors, shifting from pale yellows to deep, vibrant pinks.
Once dried, the biological material often takes on characteristics reminiscent of paper or leather, with its final surface finish heavily influenced by the texture of the surface upon which it dries. While its inherent tendency to absorb ambient moisture presents distinct limitations for conventional packaging—particularly when applied to wet foods—the project established a foundational philosophy that continues to guide Sicher’s work: allowing natural biological processes to dictate the inherent properties of a material from its inception.
Growing Materials from Local Ecosystems
In more recent investigations, Sicher has expanded her scope to examine how materials might be cultivated using microorganisms harvested directly from the surrounding natural environment. In research published in 2026, she details experiments utilizing wild rowan berries foraged around Berlin and mirabelle plums collected across Brandenburg. Both locally sourced ingredients successfully generated cellulose membranes through wild fermentation processes driven by indigenous microbial communities, bypassing the need for conventional kombucha starter cultures entirely.
Other exploratory batches combined wild elderberries with a fermentation starter cultivated from wild mirabelle plums, successfully producing a membrane with an intensely saturated color profile. Sicher’s research also draws heavily on traditional fermentation techniques she studied alongside local practitioners in Thailand. Together, these diverse investigations demonstrate how regional plants and distinct microbial populations can fundamentally shape the materials cultivated within a specific area, introducing organic variations and unique regional characteristics that would be nearly impossible to replicate through standardized industrial manufacturing.
Designing Alongside Living Organisms
Beyond her private studio research, Sicher actively integrates microbial experimentation into educational settings through interactive workshops. During a recent session hosted at the Elisava School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona, students worked hands-on with both wet and dried cellulose, investigating firsthand how the material’s physical structure, texture, and behavior shift through various stages of processing. Her ongoing research into alternative plant infusions has similarly highlighted how specific botanical additives can directly alter the density, strength, and overall physical properties of the grown substrate.
Throughout these wide-ranging experiments, Sicher operates within a framework that relies fundamentally on the autonomous behavior of living organisms. While she can carefully select the botanical ingredients and meticulously prepare the growing environment, the microorganisms retain ultimate agency in forming the final material. The resulting substances are shaped directly by these complex biological interactions, pointing toward a collaborative model of making where the surrounding ecology actively participates in the design process.
