In an era where sustainability is quickly becoming a global priority, a new wave of innovation in textiles aims to eliminate the environmental cost of one of the most common and beloved materials—spandex. Good Fibes, a pioneering startup operating from Tufts University and Argonne National Laboratory, is working to develop a biodegradable alternative to spandex using lab-grown elastics made from recombinant DNA proteins. The company’s founders, Alexis Peña and Lauren Blake, are building on a growing desire to reduce the impact of petroleum-based fabrics that shed microplastics and pollute ecosystems for centuries.
Good Fibes’ efforts are part of a broader trend in sustainable fashion, following the success of companies like Spiber. The Japanese biomaterials firm Spiber took a major step forward in 2022 by opening a commercial facility to produce textiles from recombinant E. coli proteins using a fermentation process first developed in 2007. Spiber’s breakthrough enabled brands like The North Face and Goldwin to introduce mass-market garments made from protein-based textiles in 2023. However, Good Fibes is setting out to revolutionize stretchy fabrics specifically, a sector largely dominated by synthetic materials such as spandex and elastane.
What makes Good Fibes’ approach unique is their use of silk elastin-like proteins (SELPs) to create biodegradable textiles. SELPs combine the best features of silk and elastin to form materials that are both elastic and strong, but unlike conventional fabrics, they are designed to degrade naturally without harming the environment. Peña, in an interview with MIT Technology Review, emphasized that true circularity in textiles starts with raw materials. “We must address what we’re using at the source,” she said, pointing out that current textile production often overlooks the full lifecycle of materials.
The startup’s process involves producing proteins from E. coli bacteria and transforming them into gel-like material that can be spun into fibers through wet-spinning. These fibers are then processed into nonwoven textiles or threads for woven fabrics. However, scaling this production remains one of the biggest challenges. Peña acknowledges that producing just one kilogram of microbial material is necessary for a single test swatch of fabric. But despite these obstacles, Peña and Blake remain optimistic about the potential for biodegradable elastics to replace harmful plastics in the fashion industry.
A pivotal moment for Good Fibes came in 2024 when Peña received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to explore the development of nonwoven textiles. These materials, typically used for products like surgical masks and paper towels, will be reimagined in a soft, stretchy form suitable for everyday wearables. With the help of the grant, Peña was able to purchase the company’s first 3D bioprinter in January 2024. The printer will allow Good Fibes to create 3D patterns for nonwoven swatches, bringing them closer to their goal of creating scalable, biodegradable stretch fabrics.
Timothy McGee, a biomaterials expert at Speculative Technologies, views this as a key breakthrough for Good Fibes. “Nonwovens could be a more scalable option than wovens,” McGee notes, though he adds that nonwoven materials are typically not as strong or durable. The question, he says, is whether Good Fibes can produce fabrics strong enough for everyday wear without compromising their biodegradability.
The startup’s progress is attracting attention from the fashion and athletic apparel sectors. Peña and Blake have already secured relationships with major athletic apparel retailers eager to test the company’s future fabric samples. “They’re like, ‘When you get a swatch, send it to us!’” Blake says, expressing her belief that Good Fibes will be ready for commercialization within two years. If successful, Good Fibes could set a new standard for sustainable fashion—creating a future where high-performance fabrics are not only biodegradable but also contribute to the circular economy.
For now, Peña and Blake continue their work in the lab, determined to push the boundaries of what’s possible in textile innovation. “We’re thinking big by thinking small—down to the molecular level,” Blake says, underscoring the precision and innovation required to make this vision a reality. Whether or not Good Fibes achieves its ambitious goals, it’s clear that the company’s pursuit of sustainable, biodegradable materials represents an important step toward a more eco-friendly fashion industry.
