Vending machines generally offer up sodas, candy bars and chips. Not so for the one created by TED Fellow Gabe Barcia-Colombo. This artist has dreamed up a DNA Vending Machine, which dispenses extracted human DNA, packaged in a vial along with a collectible photo of the person who gave it. It’s charming and quirky, but points out larger ethical issues that will arise as access to biotechnology increases.

My DNA vending machine

A DNA Vending Machine dispenses vials of actual human DNA, treating genetic material like collectible art. Inspired by extracting strawberry DNA at a dinner party, this project explores how biotechnology is moving from labs to everyday life. Each sample comes with a unique portrait, raising questions about what happens when personal biology becomes accessible, tradable, and visible to all. As biotechnology becomes cheaper, the lines between science, art, and ethics blur in surprising ways.