Yan Chen


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Transgenesis



Type



Design Probe



Role



Research

Ideation

Video production



Collaborators



Manoj Sahi

Yaqi Xie

Chen Wang



Research Concept Development Outcome



Year



2018


TIME

3 weeks



Transgenesis augments unique characteristics of insects to bring benefit instead of destruction through genetic engineering.




Flies have taste receptors on their feet, mosquitos can sense CO2 from 23 meters away, and male butterflies drink from mud puddles to extract minerals that aren’t available in flowers. Insects are fascinating creatures, but they can transmit disease, destroy possessions, and generally be an annoyance. Companies are genetically modifying insects to halt reproduction, but this disrupts ecosystems.


What if we took at different view of insects? What if mosquitos could carry vaccines instead of disease? What if the natural abilities of insects to spread disease and cause destruction could be flipped around to carry and spread things that would benefit people and planet?



Concept Development



Mapping trends, signals, and their implications.



Ideation and storyboarding potential concept



Outcome



Honey bees: Transgenesis' first genetically engineered insect



A network of transgenetic bees





Use case 1: leveraging bees' superior olfaction to detect volatile chemical compounds such as toxic waste and explosives



Use case 2: Leveraging the specialized structures of bees' legs to carry nano-medicine that counter insecticide to prevent insect extinction



Use case 3: Leveraging bees' wax glands for bio-architecture






Other insect applications





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