Dealing with ethical issues by removing the use of animal leathers within the Fashion industry.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
ALGAE BIOREACTOR
Category
Biodesign
Bioremediation | Water pollution | Algae
Carried out at
MA Biodesign
Central Saint Martins
University of the Arts London
Conducted with
Tutors
Nancy Diniz | Course Leader
MA Biodesign
Carole Collet | Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures
Alice Taylor | Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems
Shem Johnson | Grow Lab Specialist Technician
Special mention
Saul Purton | Head of the U.K. Algae Network (UCL)
Location
London — UK
Date
Feb. — March 2020
Using restorative design to clean the London Canal. Bioremediating water through phycormediation, using upcycled material.
This project was developed using a strain of Parachlorella Kessleri, provided by Saul Purton, Head of the U.K. Algae Network (UCL). This strain is capable of simultaneous growth and bioremediation in contaminated environments, effectively digesting pollutants. The resulting bioreactor has been designed to be installed on London barges for remediating the Regent's Canal in Central London, which is contaminated with heavy metals.
Empty gin bottles, sourced from distillery solid waste, are repurposed as bioreactor containers. In this way, the project showcases restorative design by upcycling local waste, while remaining cost-effective and accessible for numerous barge holders. Moreover, its modularity allows it to be set up on various supports.
Parachlorella kessleri algae strain | Magnification: 10X, 20X, 40X.
Experiments set-up | Variants: nutrients, light, temperature, algae concentration.
Algae bioreactor set-up on London barges | Regent's Canal, London.