The Synthetic Kingdom
A Natural History of the Synthetic Future
The New Tree of Life
How will we classify what is natural or unnatural when life is built from scratch?
Synthetic Biology is turning to the living kingdoms for its materials library. No more petrochemicals: instead, pick a feature from an existing organism, locate its DNA code and insert it into a biological chassis. From DIY hacked bacteria to entirely artificial, corporate life-forms, engineered life will compute, produce energy, clean up pollution, make self-healing materials, kill pathogens and even do the housework. Manufacturers will transcend biomimicry, engineering bacteria to secrete keratin for sustainable vacuum cleaner casings; synthesise biodegradable gaskets from abalone shell proteins and fill photocopier toner cartridges with photosensitive E. coli.
Meanwhile, we’ll have to add an extra branch to the Tree of Life. The Synthetic Kingdom is part of our new nature.
Biotech promises us control over the natural world, but living machines need controlling. Biology doesn’t respect boundaries or patents. And in simplifying life to its molecular interactions, might we accidentally degrade our sense of self? Are promises of sustainability and unparalleled good health seductive enough to accept such compromise?
Promise and Compromise
FOODS & PHARMACEUTICALS: COLOURANTS
Replacing artificial colours, modified E. coli self-organise into pixel biofilms. Cyan, magenta and yellow come from mutated GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN; while the enzyme that pigments animal hair gives us BLACK.
UNLIMITED ENERGY: LUMINAIRE
The enzyme LUCIFERASE offers an alternative to toxic mercury used in energy-saving light bulbs.
COMPUTING: MICROBECHIPS
Nanoparticles - 100 times smaller than most bacteria - build CALCIUM PHOSPHATE structures for bioelectronic components to colonise. Nanobacteria are also suspected to be a cause of kidney stones.
MACHINES: CARBON MONOXIDE POLLUTION SENSOR
These bacterial sensors contain the protein CooA, which binds to carbon monoxide causing transcription of reporters DsRed2Zs and Yellow1 creating an orange-coloured alarm.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: OPTICAL FIBRE
Bacteria with the enzyme SILICATEIN transform the sea into products: silicic acid is polymerized from seawater to make silicate fibres for fibre optics.
MATERIALS: DISPOSABLE CUP
Triggered by light, engineered bacteria secrete the fibrous protein KERATIN, producing a biodegradable material to replace petroleum-derived plastics.
BIOELECTRONICS: LUNCHTIMER
Using a synthetic oscillator called a REPRESILLATOR, these living timers are programmed to express the pink protein DsRed2 at lunchtime.
A Natural History of the Synthetic Future
The New Tree of Life
Proposal for a Linnean Taxonomy System for
the Synthetic Kingdom
Synthetic Pathologies
Would you leave your body to science, business or art?
Materials impregnated with bacterial and viral predators mean natural disease is a distant memory. But now we must contend with synthetic pathologies. Bacteria occasionally escape from factories, DIY labs and broken products, colonising our internal bodily tracts. There they flourish, simply doing what we designed them to do: to manufacture goods. Sometimes they swap DNA via plasmid rings and evolve - as bacteria are wont to do - combining to form novel growths within the body. Synthetic infection can be profitable and even beautiful.
CMYK PLAQUE
Full set extracted from a 34-year-old man with poor dental hygiene. Replacing artificial colours, modified E. coli self-organise into dot-shaped biofilms used in pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs.
POLLUTION-SENSING LUNG TUMOR
Terminal pathology from female smoker, 64 years of age. Analysis identified a novel species of silicon fabricator containing DNA from Japanese carbon monoxide detectors (manufacturer’s DNA tag intact). A double disease: her lungs grew carbon monoxide-sensing crystals in response to the presence of pollutants in her lungs.
BIOLUMINESCENT KIDNEY STONES
An epidemic of glowing kidney stones in a bioelectronics factory was traced to poor health and safety practice by an employee. He was forced to pass these stones naturally. Identified as a chance DNA exchange between bacteria from a microbechip factory and a poorly disposed luminaire, the outbreak was a combination of human error and rare side effect.
TIMER TRICHOBEZOAR (HAIRBALL)
Surgically removed from a 52-year-old male, these bacteria evolved in the patient’s stomach. The light it emitted each lunchtime triggered a steady build up of keratin from the light-responsive bacteria. Bezoars were once treasured as antidotes; the patient sold the intellectual property for this novel organism. The cause was identified as unfortunate horizontal DNA transfer between escaped bacteria from a keratin factory and a Lunchtimer found incorrectly recycled in a local landfill.
COLONIC ALCHEMY
Perhaps the ultimate pathology: the patient’s waste material turned to gold. It had always been thought that gold was impossible to synthesise. Genetic testing failed to reveal the origins of these prized alchemical bacteria. Previously uncelebrated, the colon is now a place of manufacture and our most precious organ.
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Project Background
Development... Microbe Controllers
Biome
Process
Dissertation... Design Evolution
New iterations
Credits
Photographs by Carole Suety
Animated by Cath Elliot
With many thanks to the following people for conversations, scientific advice, precious time, ideas, feedback and collaboration:
Design Interactions
Fiona Raby
James Chappell
Dr Richard Ashcroft
Oron Catts
Caitlin Cockerton
Dr John Goulding
Dr Jim Haseloff
Dr Robert James
James King
Dr Su-Lin Lee
Steve Ramsey
Dr Tom Sopwith
Professor Raymond Tallis
Dr Dave West
Appearances
The National Museum of China
The Wellcome Trust
Science Gallery Dublin
St Etienne Biennale Internationale Design
Z33, Hasselt
Imperial College
Nucleic Acids Research Cover
Wired Magazine, UK
Santa Fe Complex New Mexico, US
The Wellcome Trust London, UK
Creative Review UK
The Word Belgium