Modern farming is built for monocultures with its large scale machines dispersing synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and the collateral destruction of biodiversity and seasonal harvesting. How can we design systems and hardware + software that address the individual needs of diverse ecosystems? How can we combine the ancient and analog practices of using biologicals (soil microbes, fungi, bio-pesticides) with sensor, light and robotic technologies to maximize our food yields without sacrificing taste and health benefits and not destroy our planet in the process? In this class we will look at speculative and ecosystem design, biotechnologies related to agriculture, top down and bottom up design and the scalability of these systems and practices. We will also have the change to experiment with the bio-remediation of soil using a custom microbial design studio to explore bio-fabrication. Students will work on small design-build projects that incorporate elements of contemporary technologies, current science and applicable methods of observation and analysis into centuries old practices of biodiversity and permaculture. This class is part of the BioDesign Challenge. Tu 12:10pm – 2:40pm (01/29 – 05/07)

ITPG-GT.2131.1 () | Instructor: Stefani Bardin | Tues 12:10pm to 2:40pm | Meeting Pattern: 14 | Start Date