Name: Design at the intersection of technology and biology
Uploaded: 2015-10-07T15:00:00Z
Duration: 17 min 22 s
Description: Designer and architect Neri Oxman is leading the search for ways in which digital fabrication technologies can interact with the biological world. Working at the intersection of computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering and synthetic biology, her lab is pioneering a new age of symbiosis between microorganisms, our bodies, our products and even our buildings.

Neri Oxman: Design at the intersection of technology and biology

Design at the intersection of technology and biology

Designer and architect Neri Oxman is leading the search for ways in which digital fabrication technologies can interact with the biological world. Working at the intersection of computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering and synthetic biology, her lab is pioneering a new age of symbiosis between microorganisms, our bodies, our products and even our buildings.

Modern design is shifting from assembling parts to growing structures inspired by nature. Architects and engineers now blend computational design, 3D printing, materials science, and synthetic biology to create innovative materials and objects. In one example, a 12-foot recyclable structure was made entirely from shrimp shells and embedded with carbon-capturing bacteria. This new approach enables buildings and products to behave more like living organisms, adapting and interacting in harmony with their environments.