Lining Yao: Bio-Designer Cultivates Living Sensors at Carnegie Mellon
Lining Yao, a designer and researcher originally from Inner Mongolia (1986), specializes in creating programmable bio-interfaces that blend interaction design, materials science, and biological engineering. Following her experiences at MIT Media Lab and Autodesk's Pier 9, she is now a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University. Among her notable projects are Second Skin, a t-shirt featuring living Bacillus Subtilis bacteria that responds to perspiration, and Transformative Appetite, a 2D edible film that morphs in hot water. Utilizing electron and atomic force microscopes, Yao programs materials, with Second Skin’s design inspired by thermal imaging of sweat zones. Her innovative work has garnered attention from brands like Nike and New Balance. Recently, she was interviewed at the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia in Milan.
Key facts
- Lining Yao was born in 1986 in Inner Mongolia.
- She worked at MIT Media Lab under Hiroshi Ishii.
- She completed an artist residency at Autodesk Pier 9 in San Francisco.
- She is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science.
- Second Skin uses Bacillus Subtilis bacteria as living sensors.
- Transformative Appetite is a 2D edible film that folds in hot water.
- Nike and New Balance have expressed interest in Second Skin.
- Yao was interviewed at Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia in Milan.
Entities
Artists
- Lining Yao
- Hiroshi Ishii
- Joe Davis
- Jeff Lichtman
Institutions
- MIT Media Lab
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Autodesk
- Meet The Media Guru
- Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia
- Harvard University
- Boston Ballet Company
- Artribune
Locations
- Inner Mongolia
- Boston
- San Francisco
- Milan
- Italy
- United States