In this episode, Karl and Erum speak with Aradhita Parasrampuria, founder of CellSense, about revolutionizing the fashion embellishment industry through biology. Aradhita shares her journey from witnessing toxic dye masters in Gujarat textile factories to creating biodegradable sequins, beads, and buttons using algae and bacterial cellulose. She explains how her materials can be produced at room temperature, glow in the dark through bioluminescence, and are manufactured through an automated system that eliminates exploitative manual labor. With one in five garments containing embellishments, CellSense addresses a massive market while tackling microplastic pollution, worker health issues, and the 2027 EU ban on microbeads and lead. Aradhita discusses successful pilots with fashion brands and skincare companies, the challenges of achieving vivid colors and iridescence with biomaterials, and her vision for a circular system where anyone can upload a design and receive custom bioplastic solutions. The conversation explores the intersection of design, biotechnology, and sustainability, demonstrating how biology can create materials that don't just replace plastics—they surpass them.
Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?
Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything
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Links and Resources:
Topics Covered:
biomaterials, fashion, embellishments, sequins, bacterial cellulose, fermentation
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