we participated with the Biodesign Challenge in 2021 and 2022. Biodesign Challenge is an education program and competition that is shaping the first generation of biodesigners. BDC partners high school and university students with scientists, artists, and designers to envision, create, and critique transformational applications in biotech. https://biodesignchallenge.org/

Getting Our Shit Together

The class selected this project team to represent AUAS at the Biodesign challenge

In the Netherlands there is an abundance of cattle, that produces overwhelming quantities of dung. On top of that, the huge nitrogen emission of the Dutch agricultural industry puts a halt on construction of houses during the current housing shortage.

What to do with all this poo? In search for a solution we tried to optimize cow manure into 3D printable paste, with the final goal of 3D printing inhabitable manure houses.​

• Doris Hondtong​
• Maxim Meijer​
• Miruna Vlad​

Coach: Marjolijn Ruyg

A Hairy Issue

The class selected this project team to represent AUAS at the Biodesign challenge and was one of the six finalists of the whole competition

Not only 72 million kg of human hair are thrown away in Europe per year but also the valuable properties of hair are wasted. Can we discover the value of hair as a material? After experimenting with it, we decided to focus on hiar reinforced building materials to make use of its strength. And because it is our natural insulator, we developed hair as insulation ofr housing. This can be an alternative for less ecologically friendly insultation materials. Hair clippings are not waste, but a raw material waiting to be used.

• Aaron Bibulovic​
• Britt Vendel
• Malika Yunus

Coach: Marjolijn Ruyg