From machinery to sensibility: (Un)learning cyanobacteria between biological laboratory practice and more-than-human exploration

Abstract

Biodesigners are increasingly recognising the limitations of purely utilitarian approaches to designing with living organisms when pursuing the broader, holistic regenerative aims of biodesign. Yet developing more inclusive, self-reflective practices that consider the well-being of other beings remains challenging, as it requires unlearning deeply embedded anthropocentric assumptions and modes of thinking. In response, we present a three-year self-reflective account of a biodesigner navigating between protocol-driven laboratory experimentation and an exploratory more-than-human (MTH) design approach in a studio-lab hybrid setting while working with cyanobacteria. We employed augmented and immersive digital tools to support the biodesigner’s journey – not only to cultivate new sensibilities, but also to enable shifts in scale and perspective beyond the constraints of laboratory experimentation. Through rich visuals and storytelling, and drawing on an autoethnographic approach, we compare these modes of practice to articulate microbially attuned perspectives and multispecies-aware approaches, revealing both opportunities and challenges for integrating MTH sensibilities into biodesign.