PLANT DESIGNER

Biofaction joined Open Cell’s “Biodesign Here Now” at London Design Festival 2018. Together with St Georges University of London and LCC University of the Arts London (for Pharma-Factory, another European research project, which also deals with tobacco), we created a new art-science project “Plant Designer”. Plant Designer introduced the aims, goals, and cutting-edge technologies used by NEWCOTIANA and Pharma-Factory. Both projects allow tobacco plants to produce substances that are, in fact, healthy for you.

Our exhibit and speculative scenarios brought up questions such as:

• What if your local farmer could grow the medicine you need?
• What if plants could become biological factories that produce substances and molecules needed in everyday life?
• And if you could do it, what kind of plant would you design?

Plant molecular farming is a young branch of biotechnology that works with engineered or specifically bred plants in order to produce cosmetic or pharmaceutical substances – including skin moisturizer, antibodies and vaccines. Two EU funded projects are doing just that – and with plants you wouldn’t initially connect with health topics: tobacco. NEWCOTIANA uses New Plant Breeding Techniques to create bio-factories out of tobacco plants, which will produce medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Pharma-Factory focuses on using classic bio-engineering techniques to advance medical, veterinary and diagnostic products.

Walking around Open Cell we met other creators and filmed a series of interviews, to share our impressions of this vibrant space with you. Start here by watching the clip portraying “Plant Designer” or go check out the whole playlist.