Development of a Bio-Digital Interface Powered by Microbial Fuel Cells

You, Jiseon; Mendis, Arjuna; Greenman, John; Freeman, Julie; Wolff, Stephen; Armstrong, Rachel; Hughes, Rolf; Ieropoulos, Ioannis

doi:10.3390/su14031735

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…For household use, bioreactors are hard to read by a layperson and the ‘Active Living Infrastructure: Controlled Environment’, or ALICE prototype provides an accessible digital interface (You et al, 2019 ) that renders the MFC outputs of the system readable and relatable (ALICE, 2019 ). Through characterful animations called ‘Mobes’ that artistically interpreted biofilm data from the system producing 200 mW/L urine (You et al, 2022 ), ALICE was also installed as an artwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum (Figure 4 ) for the Digital Design Weekend in September 2021 and at the Electromagnetic Field festival, Eastnor, in June 2022. Embodying an emerging bio‐digital platform that integrates microbial and artificial intelligences with biological and technical systems, ALICE proposes an architectural synthesis that accessibly indicates to residents how their household waste streams are performing.…”

Section: The Microbiology and Architectural Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the microbial home: An overview of developments in next‐generation sustainable architecture

Armstrong

2023

Microbial Biotechnology

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Disruptive innovation is needed to raise the threshold of sustainable building performance, so that our buildings improve on net zero impacts and have a life-promoting impact on the natural world. This article outlines a new approach to next-generation sustainable architecture, which draws on the versatile metabolisms of microbes as a platform by incorporating microbial technologies and microbially produced materials into the practice of the built environment. The regenerative architecture arising from these interventions includes a broad range of advances from using new materials, to creating bioreceptive surfaces that promote life, and providing green, bio-remediating energy from waste. Such innovations are presently reaching the marketplace as novel materials like Biocement® with lower embodied carbon than conventional materials that adopt microbially facilitated processes, and as novel utilities like PeePower® that transforms urine into electrical energy and bioreactor-based building systems such as the pioneering BIQ building in Hamburg. While the field is still young, some of these products (e.g. mycelium biocomposites) are poised for uptake by the public-private economic axis to become mainstream within the building industry. Other developments are creating new economic opportunities for local maker communities that empower citizens and catalyse novel vernacular building practices. In particular, the activation of the microbial commons by the uptake of microbial technologies and materials through daily acts of living, 'democratises' resource harvesting (materials and energy) in ways that sustain life, and returns important decisions about how to run a home back to citizens. This disruptive move re-centres the domestic-commons economic axis to the heart of society, setting the stage for new vernacular architectures that support increasingly robust and resilient communities.

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Section: The Microbiology and Architectural Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the microbial home: An overview of developments in next‐generation sustainable architecture

Armstrong

2023

Microbial Biotechnology

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“…A very different, but nonetheless intriguing, research work linking current biotechnologies and future sustainable societies was provided in the fifth contribution, by You et al [8]. With cities and communities becoming increasingly reliant on digital tools and technologies, the related power consumption is nothing but negligible.…”

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confidence: 99%