A powerful thinker and globe-trotting advisor on sustainability, Louise Fresco says it’s time to think of food as a topic of social and economic importance on par with oil — that responsible agriculture and food consumption are crucial to world stability.
Louise Fresco shows us why we should celebrate mass-produced, supermarket-style white bread. She says environmentally sound mass production will feed the world, yet leave a role for small bakeries and traditional methods.
Why you should listen
As food, climate and water crises loom, Louise Fresco is looking hard at how we cultivate our crops and tend our livestock on a global scale. An expert on agriculture and sustainability, Fresco shows how cities and rural communities will remain tied through food, even as populations and priorities shift among them.
A former UN director, a contributor to think tanks and an advisor to academies in Europe and the United States, Fresco has noted how social unrest is made worse by hunger, poverty, environmental problems — and modernization. Responsible agriculture “provides the livelihood for every civilization,” Fresco says, but adds that mere food aid is not a solution to world hunger. She hopes that smart, local solutions for food production will improve war-torn areas and ease the pressures of regulations on production.
Fresco teaches at the University of Amsterdam, writes on policy and economics for the Dutch paper NRC Handelsblad and is also a popular novelist.
What others Say
“There is no technical reason why we could not feed a world of nine billion people. Hunger is a matter of buying power, not of shortages.” — Louise Fresco, NRC Handelsblad
As the planet’s population speeds towards 9 billion, it becomes impossible to continue consuming meat like we do today. Some scientists believe in vitro, or cell-cultivated, meat is a sustainable and animal-friendly solution. But, before deciding if we are willing to eat meat from the lab, we need to explore the food culture it brings us. Dr. Koert van Mensvoort takes the stage to explain exactly what in vitro meat is, alongside an entertaining exploration into its creative potential – including Dodo nuggets and meat ice cream.
Designer Suzanne Lee shares her experiments in growing a kombucha-based material that can be used like fabric or vegetable leather to make clothing. The process is fascinating, the results are beautiful (though there’s still one minor drawback …) and the potential is simply stunning.
Why you should listen
TED Fellow Suzanne Lee is a fashion designer turned biofabrication pioneer who is nurturing a global community of innovators growing materials.Suzanne Lee is the founder and CEO of Biofabricate, a platform nurturing collaboration for design and biology to grow the future of sustainable materials for consumer products. Biofabrication is highly disruptive new technologies enabling design to intersect with the building blocks of life itself. For the last five years, Lee has been the chief creative officer of Modern Meadow, a New York-based biotech startup growing collagen to manufacture animal-free bioleather materials.
Lee’s groundbreaking book Fashioning the Future: Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, was the first to articulate the future of fashion through science and technology. It remains a key text for designers, scientists and engineers wanting to glimpse the future of wearable technology.
A forest is much more than what you see,” says ecologist Suzanne Simard. Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery — trees talk, often and over vast distances. Learn more about the harmonious yet complicated social lives of trees and prepare to see the natural world with new eyes.
Why you should listen
A professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences in Vancouver, Suzanne Simard studies the surprising and delicate complexity in nature. Her main focus is on the below-ground fungal networks that connect trees and facilitate underground inter-tree communication and interaction. Her team’s analysis revealed that the fungi networks move water, carbon and nutrients such as nitrogen between and among trees as well as across species. The research has demonstrated that these complex, symbiotic networks in our forests — at the hub of which stand what she calls the “mother trees” — mimic our own neural and social networks. This groundbreaking work on symbiotic plant communication has far-reaching implications in both the forestry and agricultural industries, in particular concerning sustainable stewardship of forests and the plant’s resistance to pathogens. She works primarily in forests, but also grasslands, wetlands, tundra and alpine ecosystems.
Structural Color is by no means a new phenomenon. Back in the 17th century, English scientists Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton observed the first structural colour in nature. Structural colour is visible in a number of organisms including the peacock tail feather, in which nanostructures interact with incident light to reflect intense hues, the Morpho butterfly and the shield of a beetle amongst others. Microscopically structured surfaces interfere with light and creating iridescent colours. In this research, we collaborate with Flavoacteria grown on low-value industrial waste, to create structural colour.
How does the Flavobacteria produces its structural color, and what is it exactly?
The challenge is to explore possibilities of the creation of objects and artifacts that are alive and can grow in such a way that the color of the artifacts colors can change through the structure of the objects in relation to the light reflecting the iridescence color.
How can we keep the Flavo alive? Within this question it opens for multiple ones; do we need to keep it alive? why and for what purpose? Can we use the properties of the structure to give color to our buildings, fashion and daily objects, without using polluting dyes? Can we grow it in symbiosis with other natural occurring organisms in our city?
The initial experiments occurred in collaboration with scientists Raditijo Hamidjaja and Colin Ingham from Hoekmine BV and TU Delft researchers Elvin Karana and MA alumni Ward Grouters. During this exploration it has shown that the geometry determines in certain angles, the light reflects from surfaces and interferes constructively. Other angles show us that the light interferes destructively; different colours therefore appear at different angles. The iridescence only happens when the bacteria is alive or after a few days before death.
Picture extracted from the scientific paper “Genetic Manipulation of Structural Color in Bacterial Colonies” where they show a study of the genetic manipulation of the structural coloration of Flavobacterium IIR WT and mutants / Diagram explaining how the light occurs being scattered by the structure of the bacteria colony.
Except from the documentary Life That Glows, 2016. It is a British nature documentary programme made for BBC Television, first shown in the UK on BBC Two on 9 May 2016. The programme is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Life That Glows films the biology and ecology of bioluminescent organisms, that is, capable of creating light.
Research
Ivan and Emma harvested wild type Flavo bacteria from the Maas River in Rotterdam and De Esch, a city park. Flavobacteria are found in soil and fresh water in a variety of environments. The samples were stored in test tubes and jars. Immediately after the harvest they diluted drops of the water into a nutrient medium in the lab. They used cell spreaders to gently spread all the organisms in the petri dish. The water contains hundreds of other organisms such as bacteria and micro algae. In order to keep them alive, salt and a composition of nutrients are added to activate the Flavo bacteria. The process of isolating the Flavo could take days in order for them to light up between the other organisms. Once isolated, the colony can grown on its own.
Dissemination of Knowledge
workshop TUDelft
In September 2019, Ivan and Emma gave a series of workshops for TUDelft bachelor students from diverse engineering background. In this workshop, basics of laboratory protocols and usage were given, apart from an introduction of bioart and biodesign led by the artist/designer/reserchers Henriques and van der Leest. The aim for this workshop is to expand the students’ knowledge of emerging materials (smart and living materials) and their material pallets for prototyping.
The students were exploring possibilities of variables set by the workshop leaders. They divided themselves in groups and each one decided to go in depth in each of techniques with the focus in the change of time. They were observing the passage of time in of the bacteria from their transfer until their growth with the structures that they created.
In the first pictures, students used a 3D printer to create a surface where the flavo bacteria could adapt easily and create geometries to compose an artifact.
In a second moment, the same group created spheres with an edged rings to test the growth in such a surface.
The second group custom made petri dishes to fixate the bacteria with variable of resins to test their adaptation in flexible and hard materials, to keep the color over a long period.
The second test, is observing their growth. What is the influence of the gravity on the growth of the Flavo bacteria?
Below, the picture on the left, the flavo bacteria growing from top to down, on the right, growing from bottom to top.
The third experiment the elaboration of a candle that represents the ‘time’ and the flavo bacteria growing on its surface from top to down.
The third group within the research of time, created a zootrope, where each ‘slide’ was a petri-dish, inoculated with the flavo bacteria in different days.
The Zootroop made by TU students Pia van der Theems, Tomas de Vries and Marijn Soeterbroek
Workshop WDKA at BlueCity
In January 2020 Ivan and Emma gave an elective at Willem de Kooning students called ‘The Microbial Map of Rotterdam’. Students from different studies got a general introduction about biodesign and growing bacteria and fungi in the lab. The goal was to create a ‘living’ map that shows the city grid of Rotterdam including its soil life.
This installation presents 16 square petri dishes containing Flavobacteria and other microorganisms that were harvested from respective locations in Rotterdam. The Microbial Map shows the invisible yet important microbial life beneath our feet. It shows the collaboration between different species. They interact by showing different structures and colours produced by fungal mycelium to yeast and Lichen, a symbiosis between a fungi and algae or cyanobacteria and Flavobacteria that are present in the Maas river, ponds and canals in the city. All together they represent and grow the city boundaries of Rotterdam. The variety shows the beauty of different structures, colours, patterns that are as diverse as our city. Making the invisible visible forms your perception, experience and appreciation for the city and its nature.
How can we make flexible and transparent wood-based materials? What kinds of materials can we derive from trees, while still respecting the preciousness of nature? Could the innovative use of renewable cellulosic materials change our material world?
The CHEMARTS Cookbook gives both simple and more advanced ideas and recipes for hands-on experiments with wood-based materials. The book showcases the most interesting explorations focusing on raw materials that are processed either chemically or mechanically from trees or other plants: cellulose fibres, micro- or nano-structured fibrils, cellulose derivatives, lignin, bark and wood extractives.
Get inspired, test our recipes either at workshops or chemistry labs, and develop your own experiments!
A self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus’ concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature’s successes can inspire humanity.
Janine Benyus has a message for inventors: When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you’ll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. Here she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results.
Why you should listen
In the world envisioned by science author Janine Benyus, a locust’s ability to avoid collision within a roiling cloud of its brethren informs the design of a crash-resistant car; a self-cleaning leaf inspires a new kind of paint, one that dries in a pattern that enables simple rainwater to wash away dirt; and organisms capable of living without water open the way for vaccines that maintain potency even without refrigeration — a hurdle that can prevent life-saving drugs from reaching disease-torn communities. Most important, these cool tools from nature pull off their tricks while still managing to preserve the environment that sustains them, a life-or-death lesson that humankind is in need of learning.
As a champion of biomimicry, Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature. Her most recent project, AskNature, explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at what organisms can teach us about design.
What others say
“The sophisticated, almost pro-growth angle of Benyus shows the great potential profitability of copying some of nature’s time-tested, nonpolluting, room-temperature manufacturing and computing technologies.” — New York Times
Architect William McDonough believes green design can prevent environmental disaster and drive economic growth. He champions “cradle to cradle” design, which considers a product’s full life cycle — from creation with sustainable materials to a recycled afterlife. The green-minded architect and designer asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account “all children, all species, for all time.”
Why you should listen
Architect William McDonough practices green architecture on a massive scale. In a 20-year project, he is redesigning Ford’s city-sized River Rouge truck plant and turning it into the Rust Belt’s eco-poster child, with the world’s largest “living roof” for reclaiming storm runoff. He has created buildings that produce more energy and clean water than they use. He is building the future of design on the site of the future of exploration: the NASA Sustainability Base. Oh, and he’s designing seven entirely new and entirely green cities in China.
Bottom-line economic benefits are another specialty of McDonough’s practice. A tireless proponent of the idea that absolute sustainability and economic success can go hand-in-hand, he’s designed buildings for the Gap, Nike, Frito-Lay and Ford that have lowered corporate utility bills by capturing daylight for lighting, using natural ventilation instead of AC, and heating with solar or geothermal energy. They’re also simply nicer places to work, surrounded by natural landscaping that gives back to the biosphere, showcasing their innovative culture.
In 2002, McDonough co-wrote Cradle to Cradle, which proposes that designers think as much about what happens at the end of a product’s life cycle as they do about its beginning. (The book itself is printed on recyclable plastic.) From this, he is developing the Cradle to Cradle community, where like-minded designers and businesspeople can grow the idea. In 2012, McDonough began collaborating with Stanford University Libraries on a “living archive” of his work and communications. He has been awarded three times by the US government, and in 2014, McDonough was appointed as Chair of the Meta-Council on the Circular Economy by the World Economic Forum.
What others say
“His utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that — in demonstrable and practical ways — is changing the design of the world.” — Time
Heather Barnett creates art with slime mold — a material used in diverse areas of scientific research, including biological computing, robotics and structural design. Inspired by biological design and self-organizing systems, artist Heather Barnett co-creates with physarum polycephalum, a eukaryotic microorganism that lives in cool, moist areas. What can people learn from the semi-intelligent slime mold? Watch this talk to find out.
Why you should listen
Heather Barnett creates fascinating biodesigns with the semi-intelligent slime mold. While it has no brain nor central nervous system, the single celled organism, Physarum polycephalum, shows a primitive form of memory, problem-solving skills and the apparent ability to make decisions. It is used as a model organism in diverse areas of scientific research, including biological computing, robotics and structural design. “It is also quite beautiful,” says Barnett, “and makes therefore for a great creative collaborator. Although ultimately I cannot control the final outcome, it is a rather independent organism.“
Mycologist Paul Stamets lists 6 ways the mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu viruses.He believes that mushrooms can save our lives, restore our ecosystems and transform other worlds.
Why you should listen
Entrepreneurial mycologist Paul Stamets seeks to rescue the study of mushrooms from forest gourmets and psychedelic warlords. The focus of Stamets’ research is the Northwest’s native fungal genome, mycelium, but along the way he has filed 22 patents for mushroom-related technologies, including pesticidal fungi that trick insects into eating them, and mushrooms that can break down the neurotoxins used in nerve gas.
There are cosmic implications as well. Stamets believes we could terraform other worlds in our galaxy by sowing a mix of fungal spores and other seeds to create an ecological footprint on a new planet.
What others say
“Once you’ve heard ‘renaissance mycologist’ Paul Stamets talk about mushrooms, you’ll never look at the world — not to mention your backyard — in the same way again.” — Linda Baker, Salon.com
