Universidad de los Andes
Projects | 2018
Yundo
Julieta Gaitan Rubio, Estefania Santos, Camila Gomez, Paula Andrea Rodriguez Carrillo
Yundo is a living piece of art made from agricultural waste. It contains cyanobacteria that naturally purify air in the home. The cyanobacteria convert CO2 into oxygen and are engineered to bioluminesce while releasing a pleasant scent. Yundo may be applied as a piece of art, a wall, or a panel in each home.
Woocoa
Ana Laura Andrade, Iván Caballero, Moisés Hernández, Manuel Ortiz
Woocoa is a biodegradable textile made from vegetable fibers found in Colombia. Hemp and coconut fibers were chosen for their biological and mechanical properties and because they are often unused. The fibers are treated with lignin-degrading compounds extracted from oyster mushrooms, which make them softer and colorless.
MineCo
Laura Maria Garcia, Maria Sanz de Santamaria, Natalia Marulanda
This project was motivated by the problem Colombia currently faces with landmines, their rustic components and the effects on the Colombian society. The impact of the mines explosions and the stages of their detonations are crucial to the survival of the soldiers who handle them on a daily basis.
The social and political contexts of the problem were investigated and this led to the final proposal which consists of a device that contains a canister with genetically modified bacteria (Ideonella sakaiensis) capable of degrading the plastic that covers the mine, by atomization. Following the degrading process, the mines explode automatically without the presence of soldiers or civilians who's lives are at risk when being near these rustic artifacts.
instructors
Luz Alba Gallo
Luz Alba Gallo is a Colombian Designer interested in exploring the intersection of Design and other disciplines in order to create positive impact. Her areas of interest are service, experience, and UX design. Currently, she is teaching at Universidad de los Andes and working at the Ministry of ITC as a service and experience design consultant. Previously, she has been part of ‘Biología sintética Uniandes’, a multidisciplinary team of biologists, designers, physicists, and doctors that explores different applications of synthetic biology to solve current problematics.
Giovanna Danies
Giovanna Danies is a Biologist and Microbiologist from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá Colombia. She pursued her Master’s degree in Plant Pathology also at Universidad de los Andes. In 2015 Giovanna received a PhD in Plant Pathology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, USA. She was selected by the directors of graduate studies in the plant sciences graduate fields to receive the Barbara McClintock Award. She currently works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at Universidad de Los Andes, where she is creating a minor in Biodesign and teaching the Biodesign Challenge and the Magical Mushroom and Mischievous mold courses.