Fiona’s Intro

Hi, I’m Fiona! I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Hand and Machine Lab. I just finished my PhD in Creative Technology & Design at the ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder. My research is focused primarily on developing interactive artifacts made from biomaterials and living organisms.

One of the first projects that captured my imagination and continues to inspire my research is called bioLogic [1]. The project, led by Lining Yao [2] and a group of researchers at MIT Media Lab, utilizes Bacillus subtilis (a type of common bacteria) as tiny humidity sensors that actuate thin films (e.g., fabrics, paper, etc.) through their expansion. The project utilizes a custom bioprinter, which was a modified CNC machine fitted to extrude liquid gels/bacterial media on top of films [3]. Each bacterial actuator was designed in Rhino & Grasshopper to generate g-code for the printer. The final artifacts that demonstrate the living actuators range from toys, to teabags, to wearables [4].

I think this work always impacted me so strongly because it showcases how harmony can be struck between the biological (living, unpredictable, agentic) and the digital (controlled, predictable). It also just hits on a lot of topics that I am interested in including microbiology, digital fabrication, and wearable technology. Questions that I still have about this work are in regards to care: Do you have to care for the artifacts? Does the wearer feel empathy towards the Bacillus subtilis embedded in their clothing? If care for a living being is involved, how does that change our relationship (as humans) with the technologies we interact with?

References and other links:

1. “bioLogic: Natto Cells as Nanoactuators for Shape Changing Interfaces” by Lining Yao, Jifei Ou, Chin-Yi Cheng, Helene Steiner, Wen Wang, Guanyun Wang, and Hiroshi Ishii. Published in CHI.
2. Lining Yao and the Morphing Matter Lab: https://www.morphingmatter.cs.cmu.edu/
3. “bioPrint: A Liquid Deposition Printing System for Natural Actuators” by LiningYao, Jifei Ou, Guanyun Wang, Chin-Yi Cheng, Wen Wang, Helene Steiner, and Hiroshi Ishii. Published in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.
4. “Harnessing the hygroscopic and biofluorescent behaviors of genetically tractable microbial cells to design biohybrid wearables” by Wen Wang, Lining Yao, Chin-Yi Cheng, Teng Zhang, Hiroshi Atsumi, Luda Wang, Guanyun Wang, Oksana Anilionyte, Helene Steiner, Jifei Ou, Kang Zhou, Chris Wawrousek, Katherine Petrecca, Angela M. Belcher, Rohit Karnik, Xuanhe Zhao, DanielI C. Wang, and Hiroshi Ishii. Published in Science Advances.