Emma van der Leest
Emma van der Leest (1991) is an award-winning biodesigner, researcher, lecturer and author based in Rotterdam. She is among the leading experts in the field of biodesign in the Netherlands and has more than ten years of experience working at the intersection of design, science and ecology. She is the founder and ecosystem manager of BlueCity Lab, a bio-circular laboratory and playground for bioneers, located in the former Tropicana swimming pool in Rotterdam. BlueCity Lab lowers the threshold for working with microorganisms and residual waste streams and supports a growing community of designers, researchers and entrepreneurs experimenting with regenerative materials and processes within planetary boundaries.
Biodesign, based on the principles of biofabrication, originates from regenerative medicine and integrates living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae and cells into the design process. For Emma, microorganisms are the basic material of biodesign, just as paint is for a painter. By exploring materials and processes designed by nature but not patented, she works on developing new, fully compostable materials and reducing the use of harmful raw materials and chemicals. She is currently collaborating with a biotechnologist on Fungkee Supercoating: a liquid bio-based coating developed with fungi, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical coatings containing PFAS.
Emma graduated in 2015 from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam with a bachelor’s degree in Product Design (honours & cum laude). Her research project Form Follows Organism: The Biological Computer resulted in a book on biodesign and the changing role of the designer in collaboration with scientists. In 2019 she won the prestigious Bio Art & Design Award and was selected by the Dutch Design Foundation as a Future Builder. In that context she was interviewed by Nadia Moussaïd in a special VPRO broadcast, with Midas Dekkers and Martijn Paulen as studio guests.
Watch the broadcast here Emma van der Leest at VPRO De Toekomstbouwers
Internationally, Emma has collaborated with scientists, physicists, artists and designers, creating cross-overs between craftsmanship, scientific research and new production techniques. She completed an internship at Biocouture London, the world’s first bio-creative consultancy, and was a product associate of the annual Biofabricate Conference, an initiative by biofabrication pioneer Suzanne Lee.
In addition to her design practice, Emma has been active as a lecturer and researcher. She held a research position in Ecoliteracy at the Willem de Kooning Academy, where she also initiated the development of the Living Stations Lab. She has taught and lectured at, among others, Central Saint Martins (London), Design Academy Eindhoven, St. Joost Master Institute, CAFA Beijing, CEPT University, NID Ahmedabad and IIT Roorkee in India. She was also a tutor and interim pathway leader within the master’s programme Ecology Futures (Master Institute of Visual Cultures). Emma also served as senior curator at the nomadic Museum of 21st Century Design and worked on exhibitions for, among others, the Dutch Innovation Pavilion (Floriade), Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and the Museum of Design Atlanta.
Emma is not only a wonderful and inspiring speaker, but she also makes all the communication around her engagement effortless, clear and pleasurable. We were happy to have her join us at the event! —Mira Stanic, UNstudio, July 2022
Emma at Dutch Design Week
Emma van der Leest, TEDxRotterdam