Abstract
Many would-be practitioners may be unaware of the transformative possibilities of biodesign, and unclear of what their role could be in shaping an emerging bio economy. Belief that biodesign is only biomedical; focused only on human health, or suspicion around GMOs are also barriers.
To address these challenges, a learning arc composed of hands-on tinkering and problem-based learning to encourage curiosity is required. The following projects depict a portfolio with investigation and self-reflection, with an emphasis on design and art making. Community is also considered, facilitated by community labs and relationships with industry and academia, as well as engagement with the general public.
Community labs or biohacker spaces like Genspace are great catalysts for igniting reverberating interest in biodesign; a truth for myself and many others.
In Genspace Community Lab, non-specialists engage with cutting-edge biotechnology, providing materials and mentorship to cultivate an independent practice. My own practice emerged as a combination of teaching and learning; I learned about agar art and microbial painting in 2013 and in 2021 returned as a teacher and began to develop a practice that resulted in a body of work.
Design and art can be catalysts for engagement through hands-on tinkering. Tinkering and kinesthetic inquiry can establish a practice in foundational biodesign related areas such as data collection, ethics, and general awareness around biodesign. In a rapidly emerging space, it is necessary to engage with the community; both the local community and the research and industry community in the space.