KYT
Biomaterials to Break Down Ozone
A biomaterial second skin that breaks down ozone while revealing exposure
Research Project · Harvard MDE
Role: Material Research & Formulation · Computational Design · Fabrication · Environmental Research
Team: Hana Khurshid, Valentine Geze, Sophia Millay
Exhibited at the Harvard Grid May '25 - Aug '25
The job our skin is designed to do – act as a living, breathing organ – finds itself at odds with the state of our environment.
Today, urban megacities are no strangers to extreme air pollution and smog, with ozone being a major contributor. Sweat pores serve as entry points for pollutants, and the skin’s permeability increases in humid conditions, heightening the risk. The forehead and scalp are among the most permeable areas. When ozone comes into contact with the skin, it can impair healing and contribute to conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It can also increase the absorption of toxins through sweat glands, some of which are carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting.
Protect: Our water-based biomaterial, made from silk, sodium alginate, and calcium chloride solution, is doped with titanium dioxide to break down ozone on contact. Worn as a headpiece, it shields vulnerable areas from air pollution.
Project: The sodium indigotrisulfonate (indigo) pigment in the headpiece degrades when exposed to ozone, signaling pollution exposure and evoking the garment’s historical role as a symbol of protest.
Environmental Context & Skin Vulnerability
Urban environments increasingly expose the body to airborne pollutants such as ozone, a highly reactive component of smog. As a living, permeable organ, skin is particularly vulnerable to these conditions, especially in humid environments where sweat glands and pores increase permeability.
The scalp and forehead are among the most exposed and absorbent regions of the body, making them critical interfaces between environmental conditions and human health. KYT situates the skin not as a passive surface, but as an active site of interaction; one where protection, sensing, and response can be materially designed.
How our skin reacts with pollutants in the air
Material System & Chemistry
KYT employs a water-based biomaterial system composed of silk fibroin, sodium alginate, and calcium chloride. Silk provides flexibility and tensile continuity, while alginate enables ionic crosslinking when exposed to calcium ions, allowing the material to be formed and stabilized without synthetic binders or heat-intensive processing.
The composite is doped with titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a photocatalyst that reacts with ozone at the material surface, facilitating its breakdown upon contact. This enables the headpiece to function as a localized protective interface, reducing direct ozone exposure in highly permeable regions of the body.
To visualize environmental interaction, sodium indigotrisulfonate (indigo) is incorporated as a chromatic indicator. When exposed to ozone, the pigment degrades, producing a visible change that signals pollutant presence. Together, these material components allow the system to both respond to and communicate environmental conditions through chemical interaction.
Materials chosen and their properties
Material Layers
Material Experimentation
Material behavior was explored through iterative experimentation, testing flexibility, stability, and surface response under different compositions and curing conditions. These experiments informed later decisions around form, thickness, and patterning.
Making silk hankies from cocoons
Material ratio testing
_JPG.jpg)
Material testing
Different Material testing and experimentation
Final Material Fabrication
Fabrication & Smocking
To maximize pollutant interaction at the material surface, the project explored fabrication strategies that increase surface area without increasing material mass. Origami- and smocking-based techniques were tested to introduce controlled folding, curvature, and porosity, enabling greater exposure of the material to ambient air while maintaining flexibility and breathability.
Exploring Origami to increase surface area
Smocking prototype with Muslin Cloth
Smocking on our material
Computational Design & Form Development
Computational design was used to translate material constraints into adaptable surface patterns, enabling controlled stretch, airflow, and fit across the headpiece.
Simulation was also used to examine airflow and exposure across the head, informing placement, coverage, and material thickness in regions of heightened permeability.
Design Evolution
COMSOL Analysis
Design Sketches Process
Final Outcome
The final KYT headpiece materializes the project’s core inquiry: how biomaterials can act as active interfaces between the body and its atmospheric environment. Through the integration of protective chemistry, surface articulation, and environmental signaling, the wearable operates simultaneously as a shield, sensor, and communicative artifact.
Rather than filtering air or enclosing the body, the design engages pollution at the point of contact; transforming exposure into a visible, material response. The resulting form reflects both the constraints of the human head and the behavior of the material itself, shaped through computational patterning, folding, and smocking to maximize surface interaction while remaining breathable and flexible.
KYT positions wearables as systems of care, where protection, awareness, and responsibility are embedded directly into material and form, suggesting new roles for design at the intersection of the body, environment, and technology.
Final Design
Final Design Worn
Gallery Images
