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Synthetic Minds, Living Designs
Caution and optimism prevail in AI and Biodesign
Raphael Kim, PhD
November 15, 2024
In partnership with
Hello Biodesign Community,
As the weekend approaches, let’s take a moment to reflect on and highlight some key developments and events in the world of biodesign.
In Brief:
AI in Biodesign 🤖
Can We Harness AI in Biodesign Safely?
AI is revolutionizing biosciences, offering tools to design biological systems that could transform medicine, agriculture, and sustainable materials. But what if these tools are misused? While AI-driven biodesign tools (BDTs) can create life-saving therapies, they could also be exploited to design harmful pathogens.
With few safeguards currently in place, the potential for misuse is a serious concern. A new report published by NTI (Nuclear Threat Initiative) tackles this, exploring how we can balance innovation with security.
Two Key Strategies for Safety
1. Built-In Guardrails – Protective measures embedded in the tools:
Smart Screening: Automatically flag risky designs for expert review.
Design Metadata: Use cryptographic tracking to trace user intentions.
Safer Training Data: Exclude harmful biological data to limit dangerous outputs.
2. Managed Access – Control who uses the tools and how:
Secure Platforms: Combine ease of use with strict oversight.
Access Guidelines: Set clear rules for tool usage that adapt as tools evolve.
What’s Next?
Pilot projects are being proposed to test these strategies in real-world scenarios, aiming to support innovation while reducing risks. AI in biodesign can transform our world—but only if used responsibly. With safeguards in place, we can unlock its full potential while keeping everyone safe.
Google’s AI-Powered ‘Learn About’: A New Era for Biodesign Education?
This week, Google has introduced "Learn About", an experimental AI learning companion powered by the LearnLM AI model. Unlike AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini, Learn About focuses on education, delivering information through interactive features like quizzes, contextual definitions, and visual aids. It also provides curated suggestions for articles and videos, making it an exciting tool for deep, structured learning.
What’s Different About ‘Learn About’?
The chatbot pulls information from trusted educational sources. For example, while Gemini might cite Wikipedia for general inquiries, Learn About references platforms like Physics Forums for academic precision. Currently in a limited release, it’s accessible only in select regions (e.g., United States), but Google plans to expand availability after testing.
Implications for Biodesign Education
For biodesign, this could be a significant step. With its focus on verified educational content, Learn About has the potential to support students and researchers in navigating complex topics like biofabrication, synthetic biology, and regenerative design. Its ability to provide nuanced, interactive insights might make it a valuable tool for educators and learners alike, complementing traditional teaching methods.
As tools like Learn About become available, biodesign education could evolve toward more adaptive and self-directed learning. Imagine students creating personalized study plans or exploring cutting-edge research with guided AI assistance. This development could also introduce competition for AI search tools like ChatGPT, which I’ve written about in a recent blog post you can read here.
What’s Next?
Biodesign Academy is planning a comprehensive review of Learn About in the context of biodesign education and research, so stay tuned. With Google’s focus on credible academic sources and interactive learning features, this tool could redefine how we approach education in the biodesign space.
Bedtime Reading 📚
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Healing Materialities: Framing Biodesign’s Potential for Conventional and Regenerative Sustainability
Authors: Barbara Pollini and Valentina Rognoli
Publisher: Research Directions: Biotechnology Design
Abstract
The rediscovered potential of ‘growing’ instead of ‘making’ drives the emergence of new materialities. This is leading to innovative developments in biotechnologies and Biodesign, both of which are intricately connected and seen as transformative elements in the discourse on sustainability.
Biofabricated materials are starting to be evaluated using established sustainability metrics such as life cycle assessment, highlighting their essential role in the circular economy and shedding light on some overlooked process-dependent environmental burdens.
At the same time, some biodesigned materials and artefacts are characterised by their ability to transcend the conventional concept of sustainability, embracing the principles of Regenerative Design thanks to the restorative and regenerative potential of living and bioreceptive materials.
Glossary clarification, as intended in the study (image credit: Barbara Polini & Valentina Rognoli)
The study explores the main Biodesign variables, presenting a taxonomy created to comprehensively understand the phenomenon. The resulting findings highlighted the dual nature of Biodesign, which promotes both inner and outer sustainability.
The dual nature of Biodesign through the Healing Materialities conceptual framework highlights the feedback loop between the two polarities. (Image credit: Barbara Polini & Valentina Rognoli)
These findings gave rise to a conceptual framework defined as ‘Healing Materialities’, developed by the authors to highlight the main Biodesign variables discussed while addressing a broad spectrum of ecological potentials, from conventional to regenerative sustainability.
The article discusses the concept of ‘Healing Materialities’, emphasising the role of Biodesign in supporting a profound ecological turn and advocating the adoption of regenerative materials and processes capable of harmonising the long-term needs of both human and non-human entities.
Read the full paper here.
Skeptics’ Corner 🤔
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Is DNA Data Storage Really the Future of Archiving?
DNA data storage offers groundbreaking potential—imagine compressing the entire world’s archives into a test tube. But there’s a catch: serious issues with accessibility, cost, and control.
In our latest article, we examined:
Why DNA data storage isn’t as accessible as it sounds
Hidden physical, intellectual, and financial barriers
How a lack of accessibility could endanger cultural preservation
Collaboration Opportunities 🤝
Regenerative Futures: Designing for Decomposition
Bonnie Carr, a Jane Rapley Award scholar at Central Saint Martins’ MA Regenerative Design, is building a visionary compostable clothing system. Her goal? To create garments that decompose in local gardens or green spaces, avoiding industrial composting and saving tons of textile waste from landfills.
With partnerships across London, including the Design Museum and MAKE Garden, Bonnie is testing innovative non-toxic biotextiles to accelerate decomposition while enhancing soil health. Her project, CLOOP, envisions closed-loop clothing compost systems that reconnect people with urban ecology and redefine fashion’s relationship with waste and newness.
The work is set to begin in early 2025, with plans to feature at Milan Design Week. Curious to collaborate? Bonnie is seeking material samples for testing.
Read more about her project and find ways to contribute to this radical vision for regenerative fashion, by emailing Bonnie at: [email protected]
Friends of Biodesign Academy 🌻
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In this segment, we introduce our valued friends—organizations and individuals who share our goals and values. By featuring them here, we aim to support our friends’ work, and to highlight events, opportunities, and membership offers that might interest you. This week, we introduce Biofabricate!
“Biofabricate stands at the forefront of the bioinnovation revolution: educating and connecting trailblazing innovators, visionary brands, and forward-thinking investors. Established in 2014 by Suzanne Lee, a biomaterial pioneer, Biofabricate is where cutting-edge biology meets transformative design. Led by Lee and Chief Design Officer Dr. Amy Congdon, we champion sustainable biomaterial advancements across industries through catalytic consulting and high-impact events in New York, London, and Paris. Our mission is to ignite partnerships and fuel investment by showcasing the most groundbreaking innovations in the field.” (Taken from Biofabricate’s official press release, September 2024)
Sign-up to Biofabricate’s newsletter.
Join their membership programs.
Discover more at biofabricate.co and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn!
That’s it for now, wishing you an inspiring weekend filled with curiosity and creativity—see you next week!
Best wishes,
Biodesign Academy.
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