logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2020
12m 21s

Why "biofabrication" is the next industr...

TED
About this episode

What if we could "grow" clothes from microbes, furniture from living organisms and buildings with exteriors like tree bark? TED Fellow Suzanne Lee shares exciting developments from the field of biofabrication and shows how it could help us replace major sources of waste, like plastic and cement, with sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
How to escape your obsession with productivity | Rebecca McMackin and Catherine Price
Why are we so obsessed with productivity? Horticulturist Rebecca McMackin (who wants people to let their lawns grow wild) and author Catherine Price (who wrote a book about the power of fun) come together to discuss the relief of giving up control. From growing milkweed to taking ... Show More
29m 51s
Sep 25
I thought I was lazy. Turns out I had a sleep disorder | Lindsay Scola
For more than two decades, sleep health educator Lindsay Scola attributed her never-ending exhaustion to long hours and demanding jobs. When she was diagnosed with narcolepsy, she finally got the wake-up call that transformed her life. In this rousing talk, she discusses the epid ... Show More
11m 31s
Sep 24
Inside the "play labs" helping refugee kids heal | Erum Mariam
What does healing look like for a refugee child? That's the question educational leader Erum Mariam asked when her team built the humanitarian "play labs": small, welcoming spaces where children displaced from their homes can play and reconnect with what they lost. From songs and ... Show More
14 m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
The power of biomaterials: 3 regenerative design solutions
<p>How do we shift today’s economic system to one that helps to regenerate nature? In this episode, we’ll meet three companies developing materials that work in harmony with our environment and learn how such innovations can be scaled.</p><p>Co-founder of Materiom, Liz Corbin, sp ... Show More
16m 38s
Mar 2021
How synthetic biology can improve our health, food and materials | Emily Leproust
What if we could use biology to restore our balance with nature without giving up modern creature comforts? Advocating for a new kind of environmentalism, scientist and entrepreneur Emily Leproust rethinks modern sustainability at the molecular level, using synthetic biology to c ... Show More
11m 22s
Apr 2023
Green is the New Black
Clothing recycling along with second-hand and rental markets have significantly decreased waste in the fashion industry. Today in 2050, every garment tells a story. This transparency about an item’s provenance empowers consumers to make responsible choices. At Tokyo Fashion Week, ... Show More
27m 13s
May 2024
The Future of Sustainability: Repair, repurpose, reimagine
"Reduce, reuse, recycle." We've heard that for decades - but does it work? This hour, TED speakers reimagine the well-known slogan and reconsider how we think about what we consume and throw away. Guests include right-to-repair advocate Gay Gordon-Byrne, materials scientist Andre ... Show More
50m 9s
Mar 2023
Could we grow a building? How Biohm is using biotechnologies to advance the circular economy
<p>Imagine if one day we could grow our buildings! In this episode, hear how one company is already developing radical biotechnologies to innovate the construction industry and beyond.</p><p>Dr Ehab Sayed, Founder and Chief Evolution Officer at BIOHM, discusses how biotechnologie ... Show More
12m 13s
Jan 2021
Why designing for sustainability is harder than you'd think
How do we ensure that advances in science and technology will be good for the planet? Sustainability strategist Leyla Acaroglu reminds us that innovation can have unintentional consequences if we don't pay attention to design. This talk was filmed at TEDxMelbourne. All TEDx event ... Show More
9m 37s
Oct 2022
Why food could be the future of fashion
Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries – more than half of everything we wear is still made from plastic. In the search for more sustainable ingredients – designers are now turning to those you would normally find on your plate. Katie Barnfield travels to Sherwoo ... Show More
17m 50s
Dec 2021
What happens when biology becomes technology? | Christina Agapakis
"We've been promised a future of chrome -- but what if the future is fleshy?" asks biological designer Christina Agapakis. In this awe-inspiring talk, Agapakis details her work in synthetic biology -- a multidisciplinary area of research that pokes holes in the line between what' ... Show More
11m 28s
Jun 2022
What happens when biology becomes technology? | Christina Agapakis
"We've been promised a future of chrome -- but what if the future is fleshy?" asks biological designer Christina Agapakis. In this awe-inspiring talk, Agapakis details her work in synthetic biology -- a multidisciplinary area of research that pokes holes in the line between what' ... Show More
11m 28s
Mar 2025
The future of sustainable textiles with Spinnova
How can textiles be produced more sustainably while remaining economically viable? In this episode of Talking Digital Industries, host Alex Chavez explores a groundbreaking innovation in textile fiber production with Juha Salmela, CTO and co-founder of Spinnova, and Eryn Devola, ... Show More
23m 46s