Ask Dr. Universe

Dear Dr. Universe:

Can you grow stuff like thread, cloth, silk, and most importantly, clothing? - Jay, Colorado

We can use all kinds of animal, bug, and plant materials to make cloth. Even some of the tiniest living things on the planet can make cloth, too.

I heard about this from my friend Hang Liu, a Washington State University professor who studies the science of materials we use and wear every day. These tiny organisms, microbes, do lots of jobs in the world. They’re at work in soil, some help bread rise, and others can sometimes make us sick. Chances are your clothes didn’t come from micr...