Wednesday, 23 November, 2016 - 13:52
Ancient organisms help create fabric of the future
A WA-based company could potentially shake up the $US96 billion global textile industry with a natural fibre originally sourced from wine.
Gary Cass
Founder, Chief Executive / Cass Materials
Gary Cass has over 20 years of experience working with microbial cellulose. He is a creative scientist who has been a key collaborator with numerous international arts and sciences projects including Micro’be’ fermented fashion, the first dress in the world made from wine.
Mr Cass’ collaborative projects have been exhibited around the world including a fringe event at the Venice Biennale and Documenta Germany; Trinity College Science Gallery, Ireland; Signature Art Prize in Singapore; and ArtStays Slovenia. Micro’be’ fermented fashion has recently gained media coverage with AOL.com and appeared in the 2014 Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Mr Cass joined Nanollose, a global innovator of Plant-Free™ Nanocellulose technologies and solutions, in 2016 as managing director and became non-executive director following the appointment of a chief executive in November 2017. He transitioned to the role of an executive director from June 2018 to November 2019 following the recent successful pilot scale production of the company's Plant-Free NullarborTM fibre. Mr Cass left Nanollose in 2019 and started Cass Materials in 2020. He moved the company to Sweden in 2022.
Mr Cass holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences specialising in Microbiology.
