Developed "bacteria-containing T-shirt" in which MIT reacts to perspiration and vents open

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has announced a prototype of a new workout shirt using "bacteria" that will automatically ventilate in response to sweat.

Harnessing the hygroscopic and biofluorescent behaviors of genetically tractable microbial cells to design biohybrid wearables | Science Advances
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/5/e1601984

MIT used bacteria to create a self-ventilating workout shirt | Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/bacteria-on-this-wearable-allow-it-to-open-vents-automatically-when-you-sweat

Mr. Wen Wang, a biotechnologist belonging to the MIT Chemistry Engineering Department and MIT Media Lab, announced the prototype of "Bio Hybrid Clothing" combining latex and bacteria in the journal Science Advances. The rain jacket may be provided with a vent which can be opened and closed with a zipper, but the biohybrid clothing item responds to human sweatBacillus subtilisBy using bacteria called (B. subtilis), when the wearer sweats it contracts and the vent is automatically opened.


Specifically, it has a structure in which a latex layer is sandwiched between bacterial layers, and unless sweat is adsorbed, the sandwich structure of bacteria and latex is kept straight. When the wearer begins to sweat, the bacterial layer relaxes according to the humidity, so there is a gap between the latex layer and the flap to the ventilation port attached to the clothing is empty. Also, it is characterized by the fact that the life and death of the bacteria used for the biohybrid clothing is not related, and because it utilizes the mechanical action of the bacteria, there is no problem with the functionality even if the bacteria are dead.


In this research, a prototype that realized only the function of "automatically ventilate" was developed, but the problem of "can not be washed" remains. Mr. Wang is thinking about a solution to ensure that bacteria adhere to the fabric, such as chemically bonding the bacteria to the fabric, or weaving bacteria in the yarn of the dough.

In the future idea, Mr. Wang is considering the development of 'bio-hybrid clothing items that give off a nice smell.' For example, when wearers spill wine on clothes, injured and blooded, they are considering a process of converting bacteria or yeast into good fragrance by eating dirt. Mr. Wang said, "Every time you go to the gym, imagine the scent of bread dripping from people who sweat, perhaps now sweating next to you running machine Is not it a better smell than the people using it? "