Application of Bacterial Cellulose for Architectural Material Systems and Design
Synthetic biology, a revolution in biotechnology, induces a more direct relationship between biology and the built environment, in which architecture makes use of materials and structures that are, in part, living. This research aims to examine living matter in architecture to realise a living architectural membrane. This is conducted by exploring bacterial cellulose produced […]
Investigating the Properties of Mycelium to Develop Free Form Building Materials
Today, mycelium is used in many different ways: As packaging in industry; as acoustic panels; wall insulation, bricks in buildings, as textile or as a raw material in designed objects such as furniture. The purpose of this research is to explore the tectonic features and possibilities of pure mycelium as a living building material by […]
Computational Colloids, Thinking Soils
Position as a Research Assistant /Associate in Design and Bio Computation Available
We are advertising an 18-month Research Assistant/Associate who will lead on the development of a new type of computational model integrating data from individual genes to forces through large volumes of material and living cells – visualising the 3D results of our Synthetic Biology system at multiple scales. We are looking for creative, highly motivated […]
Mycelium Construction
Architecture students from level 5 and 6 concluded their exploration into building with a living material with an exhibition at the Laing Gallery. Their investigation was carried out in the Bio Design Lab at Newcastle University which allowed the students to interact and conduct experiments in a sterile and contained laboratory environment. Microscopic view of the […]
Computational Colloids, Sporosarcina Pasteurii, Thinking Soils
Visualisation of MICP in agarose hydrogel
Following on from Javier’s work on the application of agarose gel as a soil analogue, his project introduced a novel application in which agarose gels can be used for the development of early-stage demonstrators, by allowing an easier monitoring and greater control over the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the environment. Thus allowing testing […]
Architectural Technology Studio 2019: Building with Living Materials
Students from level 5 and 6 started their experimentation on a living material exploration today. The studio, 4th Order: Building with Living Materials led by Martyn Dade-Robertson, Thora H Arnardottir and Dilan Ozkan, focuses on exploring, not only, the material properties of mycelium-based materials, but the semiotics of the material. It aims to define the 4th classical […]
Sporosarcina Pasteurii, Thinking Soils
Testing glass cementation vessel
A video preview of glass work produced for the project Thinking Soils of the liquid run-through in preparation for the biocementation process and testing as part of an ongoing PhD research development.
Bacilla Spore Actuators, Prize
Active Origami awarded for Newcastle University’s Research Scholarships and Expeditions
Emily Birch has been working with us in the lab since this summer on her project Active Origami, an environmentally responsive architecture facade system which was just awarded the winning student poster for Research Scholarships and Expeditions 2018. Her project focused on developing a methodology for Bacillus subtilis hygromorphic bilayers with a latex substrate and suggest how this […]
Highlights from MIT Media Lab Global Biosummit
The Global Community Biosummit held at MIT Media Lab brought together over 300 participants of DIY bio-enthusiasts from all over the world to convene, and continue the evolution of the ‘community biotechnology’ movement. The Bio Summit developed, through a co-creation process, a ‘Statement of Shared Purpose’ for the community : Our shared purpose is to fundamentally transform the life sciences […]
Project BioVer from the BioCentric Design Group wins 3rd Prize at RESHAPE18
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The project BioVer has won third prize on the Wearable Technology category at RESHAPE18. The project, which proposes exquisitely designed jewellery/worn pieces which constitute “unfolded petri dishes” which in the words of the designers are: “…digitally redesigned as a ring and a necklace, are in fact inhabited by specimens of Physarum polycephalum, protist observable by […]
Bacilla Spore Actuators, Conference, Thinking Soils
Thinking Soils at MIT BioSummit 2018
We are excited to announce that Thora and Martyn will be attending the Global Community BioSummit 2018. Our video will be presented along side a poster at MIT Media Lab.
Designing with Living Materials presented at IAAC
Thora presented her experience in designing with living materials in a lecture at the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) last week. Her focus was on her thesis topic, working with biomineralisation as a material for designers, and the Thinking Soils project. The presentation was a part of the Biology ZERO series, run by Dr Nuria Conde Pueyo and Jonathan Minchin […]
Paper: Mild hydrostatic pressure triggers oxidative responses in Escherichia coli
Our paper titled: Mild hydrostatic pressure triggers oxidative responses in Escherichia coli has been published in the scientific journal Plos One, July issue. The abstracts as follows: Hydrostatic pressure is an important physical stimulus which can cause various responses in bacterial cells. The survival and cellular processes of Escherichia coli under hydrostatic pressures between 10 MPa and […]
Paper: Design and modelling of an engineered bacteria- based, pressure-sensitive soil
We have published our paper on the design and modelling of an engineered bacteria-based, pressure-sensitive soil in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, July issue. The abstracts as follows: In this paper, we describe the first steps in the design of a synthetic biological system based on the use of genetically modified bacteria to detect elevated […]
Bacilla Spore Actuators, Computational Colloids, Sporosarcina Pasteurii, Thinking Soils
The bio design lab in action
Our team hard at work in our bio design lab in the Devonshire building at Newcastle University in our new Thinking Soils lab coats. After some time setting up we have a few projects that are already making use of the facilities. Here, Beate and Thora have been cultivating and experimenting with a biomineralising bacteria and […]
Javier Rodriguez Corral receives best paper at ICGRE’18 conference in Budapest
We are pleased to announce that Javier Rodriguez Corral won the best paper award at the 3rd International Conference on Geotechnical Research and Engineering (ICGRE’18) in Budapest last month. The conference aim was to become the leading annual conference in fields related to geotechnical engineering, with over 120 papers presented. The conference paper: Agarose Gel as a Soil Analogue for Novel Ground […]
MBC Documentary Features the Thinking Soils Project
A documentary on the problems and potentials of bacteria and bacteria based technologies was broadcast in South Korea in December 2017. The documentary featured and interview with Martyn Dade-Robertson and clips of Luis Hernan and Javier Rodriguez Corral working in our new BioDesign Lab at Newcastle University. The video posted here is a clip from the documentary. […]
Bacilla Spore Actuators, Bacillla Vitruvius, Computational Colloids, Thinking Soils
Bio Design Lab is now up and running
We have finally moved in to our new Bio Design lab in the Devonshire building at Newcastle University. So far our work has been spread across Labs at the Centre of Bacteria Cell Biology (at Newcastle University), Northumbria University and Civil Engineering as well as the workshops in Architecture at Newcastle University. The lab has been […]
Computational Colloids, Thinking Soils
Thinking Soils Presented at UC Berkeley and NASA Ames
Martyn Dade-Robertson kicked off the new Thinking Soils project with a public lecture at UC Berkeley (Wednesday 18th October 2017) and NASA Ames (Thursday 19th 2017). The US Berkeley Lecture can be seen here.