BioCoder #11

Chapter 5. Design.bio

Biology at the Design Studio

Orkan Telhan

As scientists’ understanding and ability to manipulate biological systems have improved, there is growing interest in the design community to work with synthetic biology and biological design. In the hands of speculative designers, bacteria is turning into gold, furniture is grown out of mushrooms, specs of meat become leather jackets or discussed in cooking shows. Many of these bold ideas are realized as creative design statements or symbolic gestures that make us think about the cultural and environmental implications of working with biology. Sometimes due to the limits in knowledge or resources—or simply by intention—these designs do not become part of everyday life and remain as intellectual endeavors featured in books, exhibitions, or competitions. This disconnect gives such designs the ability to be radical, unconstrained from regulations, feasibility, cost, or market demands. In return, however, they gain the power to shape public opinion, create discussion and debate, and inspire many more designers to work with biology.

On the other hand, there is a growing community of designers who would like to see biology as part of their practices in architecture, fashion design, food design, and so on (Figure 5-1). Biology for them is not a new niche or a realm for speculation, but rather a radical rethinking of aesthetics and manufacturing to eliminating pollution, addressing labor abuse, and income equality. The products ...