The Living Room Collective's exhibition "Picoplanktonics" at the Canada Pavilion during the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 employs live cyanobacteria within advanced 3D printed biostructures to effectively capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This innovative project merges ancient biological processes—photosynthesis and biocementation—allowing the cyanobacteria not only to produce oxygen but also to convert captured CO2 into solid carbonates, permanently storing carbon. Biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling emphasizes the importance of "regenerative design" from a biological standpoint, aiming to create structures that can renew themselves and contribute to environmental sustainability.
In Picoplanktonics, we are talking about the biological definition of regeneration, which means the literal ability to regenerate or renew from damaged or dead parts.
Cyanobacteria are among the first photosynthetic organisms and are believed to be responsible for the Great Oxygenation Event, where 2.4 billion years ago, the atmosphere transformed.
The resulting minerals act like 'cement' and can store the carbon permanently, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
During the printing stage, we infuse the living cyanobacteria into the structures instead of later, enhancing their functional capabilities.
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