Teresa van Dongen on Designing with Living Systems

Designer Teresa van Dongen reflects on her journey from biology student to bio-designer, creating objects that collaborate with living systems. Her first 'unplugged design' was Ambio (2014), a light installation powered by bioluminescent bacteria from octopus skin, which gained international attention. She later developed Biolume for Slot Schaesberg, a medieval castle ruin in the Netherlands, using electroactive bacteria from the moat to generate electricity. The project involved a microbial fuel cell sustaining an ecosystem, requiring weekly feeding. Electric Life, created for Centre Pompidou, was maintained by the museum's conservation team. Van Dongen's current project, Between Lights, is a modular solar lighting system for windows. She studied biology at the University of Amsterdam before graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven.