Epigenetics Workshop 2007:

Epigenetic conference and workshop, sponsored by the Epigenome Network

7 scientists and 40 designers from MA Textile Futures and MA Industrial Design with the support of workshop facilitators: Carole Collet, Mathias Gmachl, Ben Hughes, Angelo Vermeulen, Harry White and Rachel Wingfield.

"Design features in every aspect of daily life and science permeates culture through discovery and technology. Through a one-day workshop we will unite the worlds of innovative arts and science with a view to developing epigenetic designs using both 3D and textile media. We will explore issues pertinent to both design and epigenetics, for example how much are we pre-programmed versus environmentally shaped?" ( Brona McVittie, Public science communications, http://www.epigenome.eu)

We would like to thank all the scientists who have agreed to take part in this creative journey: Wendy Bickmore, Neil Brockdorff, Amanda Fisher, Frank Grosveld, Ueli Grossniklaus, Thomas Jenuwein and Wolf Reik.

The Project was organised by Prof Amanda Fisher (CSC, MRC), Brona McVittie (Epigenome Network) and Carole Collet (Course Director, MA Textile Futures)

Group 1 - Epigami

Epigami is our response to the 3 days workshop "Fabrics of life", gathering 7 scientists from the Epigenetic field and 40 designers from MA Textile Futures and MA Industrial Design at Central St Martins.

Team: Carlo Bianchi, Jacqueline Crosthwaite, Melissa French, Amelie Labarthe, Aurélie Mossé, Pu Tai with the support of Neil Brockdorff from MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Harry White.

Goal: Visualizing and communicating in a simple and pleasant way what Epigenetic is.

Concept: Explaining Epigenetic by drawing a parallel with Origami. The result is Epigami, a communication tool to understand what is Epigenetic, designed for teachers as well as science museums.

Video: please have a look on this research at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeDqHhD_21s

Group 2 - Taste Twisters

Team : Vincenzo Di Maria, Asma Hussain, Nicole Chen, Sabahat Nawaz, Alessandra De Simone with support and advice of Frank Grosveld and Angelo Vermeulen

Goal : Exploring epigenetics by using it as an educational tool to explain the concept in a simple and playful manner through film, by taking the process of vernalization (adaptation of similar plants in different climates), as an example.

Concept : The scenario explores the key themes of change: gene silencing, adapation, reprogramming and the possible affects of climate as a contributing environmental factor enabling this. These issues are explored within various scenes based on the dicoveries made by a weather scientist, who experiments in her kitchen to find an unknown and hidden ingredient that leads to the discovery of 'the taste twisters' where the taste of the product changes in different weather and temperature conditions. This idea is based on the premise that the information stays the same, i.e. the product is a fixed template but the interpretation, i.e. the; taste' depends upon the environment or variable conditions in which it is eaten that makes different. As a result the product is durable as it provides alterantive or multi tastes making it emotionally sustainable for the person eating it.

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGxUzU5_lns

Group 3 - Geliciuos

Team Seogoon Choi, Zenab Khatum, Rui Liu, Agnieszka Piszczecka and Kathy Schicker with the support and advice of Wendy Bickmore from the Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh

Gelicious is inspired by the concept that the Genome is a smart material and how epigenetics explores the environment effects on it. Gelicious organically grew over a few days into a product from which you can grow your own dinning experience.

How it works

You can purchase 4 types of Gelicious to grow you own seats, tables, cutlery and crockery - covering all your needs for unique dining experience.

The translucent gel is your stem cell. Within it are 3 different cell types that can grow into a plate, cup or bowl. All Geliciuos products can divide in 3 ways, inspired by how the stem cell will always chose one of three paths in the bodies development - blood, bone or skin cells.

You cut a cell of the correct colour from the gel and place in a dish where it will grow into the product of your choice over several hours. The development of the product depends on how the cell is nurtured and the amount of light, nutrients, and heat it is exposed to while it grows. You can choose to try and control this development or just let it grow wild, but there will always be the element of the unexpected during this time and that is where the magic of the product lies.

When you are happy with the product shape and size, you place it in a freezer to stop its growth. Then the gel will harden and the product is fixed. If you don't like it, you can replace it back in the gel and try again. Once the shape is fixed, it is a smart product that adapts its pattern, surface and temperature to your needs - and the enironment around it - keeping you hot drinks warm and cool drinks cold, for instance.

If you want to make a set of the new product, you just remove the original cell and clone it.

The product has a life span of 4-5 before it start to return to its natural state. Then you can purchase a upgrade from gelicious and start the whole process again. This way, you will never get bored of you dining experience and there will be no waste produced by the product.

We would like to thanks everyone for sharing all their time, knowledge and experience with us on this project and for making this a extremely fun and informative experience for us all.

Group 4 - Soup-a-bowl!

Team: Suzanne Goodwin, Jen Leary, Magnus Petterson, Henry Reeve, Yu Zhou with the support of Ueli Grossniklaus and Mathias Gmachl.

Goal: According to our understanding of the lecture and workshop, a green revolution could result from a deeper understanding of what causes apomixis (cloning) in plants. If scientists can induce apomixis in hybrids, the result would be a best-of-both-worlds scenario. Hybrids could retain their hybrid vigour and high yield crop cycle after crop cycle instead of losing it through inbreeding. Inspired by Ueli's creative approach to plant production, we set out to tackle a design problem. We looked at two processes in the design world which rarely come together - mass production and handcrafting - and designed a system that combines them without losing any of the valued qualities.

Concept: Soup-a-bowl is a hybrid of the home cooking experience and the vending machine lunch experience. The qualities of home cooking that it retains are freedom of choice, recipe listing, individual taste adjustments, and close knowledge of all ingredients. The qualities of a vending machine which it keeps are speed, remote preparation, and the relaible graphic user interface. Patrons of this little soup kitchen machine can select from recipes stored in the system, insert their own recipe, or make it up as they go along. Any canteen equipped with a Soup-A-Bowl can offer the traditions and innovations that typically only come in the process of cooking at home. By illustrating the process of turning raw ingredients into a fully prepared meal, it acts as an educational tool for those of us who have little time for the kitchen.

• http://epigenome.eu/en/3,47,861