Week 01 & 2:

Project Description + Timeline

Ultimate Goal

I aim to generate curiosity and excitement about using bio-design as a tool to create regenerative solutions that are not just for future space exploration, but could be applied to improve life here on earth.

Since access to food and material is a constraint in space travel, I'll be exploring how we can leverage biology, design and technology to grow multipurpose organisms for oxygen, food and bio-material (to fabricate our environment).

The Vision

To demonstrate this organic and regenerative imagined future, I aim to create an immersive installation with:

  • Projection mapping of space + star wars intro like text with audio to provide context/world building

  • A center piece that is made with mycelium and serves as a dinner table and an incubator that grows algae and transgenic organisms

  • Dinnerware that is 3D printed or molded from biomaterial, made with mycelium or algae bioplastic

  • Dinner: made with transgenic organisms grown in the incubator (multicolor oyster mushrooms + spirulina?)

 

Mood-board

Project Timeline

February 9th-March 9th:

  1. Biomaterial

    • mycelium: simple brick, various molds, (3d printing?)

    • algae bioplastic: sheet, molded

  2. Transgenic organisms

    • Space oyster mushrooms: (different colors? Bioluminescent? different taste profiles?)

    • Spirulina: (different vitamin levels? different fat content?)

  3. Thesis Book

    • Outline + Intro

    • Lit review, Secondary + primary research

    • Ideation

March 9th- April 9th:

  1. 3D modeling

    • Main artifact: Incubator Table

    • Dinnerware: plates, glasses, cutlery

  2. Fabrication

  3. Projection video + audio

  4. Thesis Book

    • Experiments

    • Prototyping

    • Review

    • Next steps

Biomaterial Experiment: Mycelium

I started to grow mycelium which I will use to create basic mycelium concrete blocks in different molds. I plan on using cured as well as alive mycelium to fabricate the main structure of the table/incubator.

Week 14: final presentation & feedback

Based on the feedback I received after my final presentation, I’m focusing my thesis on creating an immersive experience: dinner on Mars, where I will l serve food that I will grow, using biotechnology.

To create this experience I’ve chosen Elizabeth Henaff as my primary advisor, because of her expertise in biology and to help me design and grow “space food”.

I spoke to Elizabeth to make a plan of action for the winter break, and I will be doing more literature reviews, as well as running my own experiments to replicate growing food in controlled environments, with conditions similar to space.

Week 11: research update

 
 

‘Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative’ programme (MELiSSA): research about algae bioreactor in spaceship to produce oxygen, and treat waste.

 
 

food tech: Current research in food technology, the power of microorganisms, fungi and algae and their potential for long term space travel.