This project was exhibited at the Biofabricate Conference 2014. 

Challenge

We are reaching a turning point where biotechnology is increasingly becoming more accessible to the non-expert. How might we provide a visually stimulating and easy to understand base for educated discourse on the subject of DIY biology and it’s potential cultural implications?  

Outcome

174 Magazine is a speculative design magazine targeting makers, designers and artists in a fictional world where synthetic biology has become more common in our everyday lives. With the objective of focusing on the cultural implications new materials and products might generate through design, the first issue of 174 Magazine will provide a glimpse into what the commercial as well as DIY community might look like. As the aim of the piece is to provide a visually stimulating and easy to understand base for educated discourse on the subject, it is important to note that all the products portrayed are based on scientific research taking into consideration the social and legal hurdles ahead in order to cast an as accurate prediction as possible.

materials 

Paper, 3D printed PLA, kombucha leather. 

user experience 

Educational, explorative, speculative, fictional narrative. 

roles

Biofabrication, graphic design, 3D manufacturing. 

design process

1- Identify Areas of Opportunity: How can we raise awareness amongst the design and maker communities about the new materials and tools soon to become more accessible and it’s potential cultural implications? 
2- Research: Biomaterials, DYI biohacking, DYI biology, bio-legislation, bio-politics, existing design fictions, interviews. 
3- Hypothesize: Create a hypothetical narrative based on existing facts and predictions about material science progress. 
4- Experiment: How can current materials be leveraged to express future notions? 
5- Information Architecture: Magazine content structure, use case and layout. 
6- Envision: Graphic design and look and feel. 
7- Ideate: Explore print techniques, evaluate costs, outreach.

reflection/research

In 1976, Fred Sanger first successfully synthesized the phiX174 molecule, ushering in the era of synthetic biology. As this was the first time we where able to read DNA, I thought it to be a suitable name for the magazine. The metaphor of reading and writing DNA is emphasized through the traditional medium of print. Print is in many ways just like biology - once you put it through the press it is out there and you are in little control over it. The physicality of the paper also resonates with the way we semiotically understand life - as tangible and natural, just like paper from a tree. However, this is about to change, as the natural and artificial blur through the prominence of synthetic biology, we will increasingly design our own nature. This notion is further accentuated through the additional mediums used - the bolt, a symbol of traditional engineering printed in polylactic acid - a bioplastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch and tapioca roots and the integration of Kombucha leather in one of the advertisements. We will increasingly see more of these biodegradable materials being used as a substance for other natural materials that take longer to grow back, however these are today still very fragile and cumbersome to work with. The discussion about print dying has lost heat, as we have increasingly given weight to analogue media as a nice contrast to our otherwise digitally heavy life.  The main objective with 174 Magazine is to explore the cultural context in which synthetic biology would live, and the form of a magazine was a very conscious decision as art and advertising together paint a broad picture of culture. 

Do-It-Yourself biology is a rapidly growing global movement consisting of a very interdisciplinary and broad scope of people exploring the natural life sciences through laboratory experiments made in the home or in a private institution. The movement aims to distribute knowledge of how to conduct these experiments with the cheapest materials and most readily available resources. PCR machines, centrifuges and microscopes are being produced with 3D printing and laser cutting, opening up the path for an anticipated Do-It-Yourself biotechnology revolution. Whereas before experiments of this nature would be confined to academic settings and industrial environments, this movement is strongly characterized by an emphasis on open source philosophy, requiring no prior skills or knowledge of the practice. This presents a vast amount of exciting solutions to design, health, economic and environmental problems but also highlights a lot of dangers concerning the ethical, cultural and moral nature of the topic. The greatest fear is that individuals might inadvertently or purposely produce harmful biological agents or genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) and release them in nature. I personally believe that the only way to prevent undesired outcomes of this inevitable progress of humanity designing more tools to broaden their scope, is to push educational tools and models catered to non-experts. Currently, databases still use scientific nomenclature to explain procedures, even though much of this language could be simplified. The key is to make sure that not only procedures are fully understood in order to prevent harmful outcomes, but also to make sure that these experiments are done with great respect to humans, animals and nature. In order for this future to flourish in a harmonic biodiversity, we need to step away from the rigid and closed-minded anthropocentric view, and encourage empathy towards other life forms. 

In many ways, the biotechnology revolution can be compared to the technological revolution - Steve Wozniac and Steve Jobs where hobbyists tinkering with new and unknown technology at the time, and they where the ones that brought this technology in the hands of ordinary people, changing the lives of millions. Biology is increasingly being used as a technology in and of itself. Whereas before it was used for things such as medical imaging equipment or prosthetics with the support of mechanical or electrical engineering, we are increasingly spending more time developing ways in which we can identify certain molecules or optimize certain substrate production trough applied protein designs, natural product synthesis and the creation of standard biological parts and circuits. This use of molecular biology with the means to offer more environmentally friendly alternatives as well as cheaper and smarter products to improve society is called synthetic biology. As the definition is still evolving, synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field involving biology, engineering, bioinformatics and design. As the cost for developing an organism is rapidly decreasing (from $100 million to make an organism ten years ago to half a million today) we are anticipating artificial gene synthesis to become cheaper and more readily available. The rate in which we are increasingly becoming more productive in reading and writing DNA has even been compared to Moore’s Law. 

HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT TECHNOLOGY IS EXPONENTIALLYBECOMING MORE EFFICIENT, BIOTECHNOLOGY IS BEING SLOWED DOWN BY IT’S LEGAL, ETHICAL AND MORAL PROBLEMATIQUE, NOT TO MENTION THE BIG LACK OF UNDERSTANDING WE STILL HAVE OF LIFE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SOON BE ABLE TO WRITE DNA AS EASILY AS WRITING A SOFTWARE PROGRAM, AND IT IS INDEED BELIEVED THAT THE NEXT ERA WILL BRING A MORE PURE-SYNTHESIS APPROACH WHERE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PROGRAM DNA FROM SCRATCH IN YOUR HOME WITH THE HELP OF AN ALGORITHM SUCH AS PYSPLICER AND BIO COMPUTER AIDED SOFTWARE (CAD) TECHNOLOGIES WITH EASY TO USE INTERFACES CATERED TO DESIGNERS. THE PROBLEM REMAINS THAT WE STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO FULLY CONTROL THE ORGANIC NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE GENOME - 40% OF THE E. COLI BACTERIA IS FOR EXAMPLE IS STILL NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD, ALTHOUGH THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY MIGHT GLOSS OVER THIS SCARY FACT. 

Indeed, the notion of manipulating genetic code comes from cybernetics and informatics. However, much of the DYI tools available out there are still quite difficult to understand, and you will need to be very dedicated and patient to understand the supposedly very simplified BioBrick system, for example.  Independent co-working spaces such as Manchester’s Madlab, California’s BioCurious, Denmark’s Biologigaragen and New York’s Genspace which I am myself a member of are slowly popping up all over the globe in the spirit of open source sharing. Cathal Garvey, a renowned biohacker residing in Ireland is even demonstrating DNA extraction in a tent, spreading helpful tips much like a chef would. For example he uses Bromelain found in pineapple to avoid protein contamination as it contains protein-digesting enzymes - especially useful when conducting experiments in your own kitchen. He is also big on 3D printing and has created models for a centrifuge to be printed with a Makerbot. His entire lab cost him €4,000.00 euros to set up, but as we are seeing more and more lab equipment such as PCR machines and electrophoresis gel boxes being made with laser cutting techniques and a few staple electronics, setting up a lab in your kitchen, bedroom or even closet will soon become more and more common.  

But again, there are many factors slowing down this development that are constantly overlooked in the favor of a utopian reality, which is why many of the design fictions out there, such as the Nano Supermarket by Next Nature are merely story tales derived from imagination. As ideas such as the “Wallsmart” paint are indeed inspiring, they do little to help society prepare and discuss the actual problems that we very likely will be facing. As life is increasingly treated as property, it is important not to mislead people into thinking about this as a mere dream. Through 174 Magazine I have attempted to have a more realistic approach, questioning what is natural, what is ethical, and what could be available to creatives within the field.

As Frances Arnold notes in the book “Synthetic Aesthetics” (one of the very few books exploring the cultural dimensions of synthetic biology) “There is no such thing as a standard component, because even a standard component works differently depending on the environment ... The expectation that you can type in a sequence and can predict what a circuit will do is far from reality and always will be”. Views regarding this are split, for example Jason Chin, Program Leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology has developed a coded system manipulating ribosomes to create synthetic amino acids. These amino acids in turn could produce proteins that are resistant to certain diseases.  We have also successfully started experimenting with synthetic meat as an alternative to the environmentally and ethically harmful mass production of animals for consumption. Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr first started working with this through The Tissue Culture & Art Project in the year 2000 where in vitro meat was created and then eaten for the first time by growing frog skeletal muscle cells over biopolymer to create an installation alongside healthy frogs entitled “Disembodied Cuisine”. However, most of these technologies are still extremely expensive, and the first hamburger patty, created just a few weeks before this was written, ended up costing around $300,000. Some people claim this will get to market soon, and there are already a few startups like Modern Meadows attempting to package this very high cost meat as a luxury product, however it looks like we will not see this in the supermarket until another 15-20 years.

Please note that what you are seeing above is simply a prototype and loose ideation of what a more content heavy magazine could look like with the help of collaborators. If you are interested in helping make 174 Magazine into a real print production, please do not hesitate to contact me.