University of Edinburgh researchers have used bacteria to turn plastic waste into a Parkinson's drug, advancing a new approach known as "bio-upcycling". More about Plastic bottles recycled into Parkinson's drug using bacteria
After years of exploring the merging of biotechnology with design, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Christina Agapakis have started what they describe as the "first biodesign lifestyle brand", which launched at London Design Festival. More about Normal Phenomena of Life brand launches to sell biodesigned products
A material that alerts people to "an invisible threat" by changing colour in response to UV radiation has been displayed in an installation by Crafting Plastics Studio and DumoLab Research. More about Sensbiom 2 biomaterial installation changes colour with UV exposure
Biotech start-up Spiber and The North Face's Japanese distributor Goldwin have created the first mass-manufactured jacket made from synthetic spider silk. More about Spiber creates first commercially available jacket from emulated spider silk for The North Face
Neri Oxman's Mediated Matter Group has digitally designed and robotically fabricated a structure using the molecular components found in tree branches, insect exoskeletons and human bones. More about Aguahoja I by Mediated Matter Group is a robotically fabricated structure made of organic matter
The Bio-Integrated Design Lab at the Bartlett School of Architecture has created a modular system of tiles inlaid with algae that can filter toxic chemical dyes and heavy metals out of water. More about Bio-ID Lab designs DIY algae-infused tiles that can extract toxic dyes from water
Fungus, yeast-based bioplastic and other materials grown by microbes have been used to make the Korvaa headphones, designed by Finnish studio Aivan in collaboration with scientists. More about Aivan grows headphones from fungus and yeast
The Tiger Penis Project is a speculative design that proposes using synthetic biology to create organs that can replace the animal products used in traditional Chinese medicine, including parts from endangered species. More about Kuang-Yi Ku proposes creating hybrid animal organs for use in Chinese medicine
Brisbane-based artist Michael Candy has proposed a method of artificial pollination using 3D-printed robotic flowers, in a bid to help increase the dwindling bee population. More about Synthetic Polleniser could help depleting bee population
Graduate shows 2016: Central Saint Martins student Tina Gorjanc has proposed a conceptual range of leather accessories made of skin grown from late fashion designer Alexander McQueen's DNA (+ slideshow). More about Alexander McQueen's DNA turned into human leather goods by Tina Gorjanc
Graduate shows 2016: this range of conceptual implants designed by Central Saint Martins graduate Lesley-Ann Daly allows wearers to track their health using sound. More about Lesley-Ann Daly's connected implants let wearers listen to their wellbeing
Glasgow designer Fraser Ross has created a collection of seven conceptual human organs that would perform extra functions like squirting ink and spinning silk (+ movie). More about Fraser Ross' synthetic organs combine human and animal attributes
Advances in genetic technology mean that creating synthetic animals has become just another branch of industrial design, according to Daisy Ginsberg. More about Synthetic biology is turning into industrial design, says Daisy Ginsberg
MIT Media Lab graduate Will Patrick has designed a prototype desktop bioreactor that could enable the production of pharmaceutical drugs at home. More about Will Patrick's Farma bioreactor could let owners brew their own drugs
Canadian designer Julie Legault has developed a desktop biolab to make synthetic biology more accessible, allowing users to hack DNA at home and monitor the progress of their creations (+ movie). More about Julie Legault's Amino bio-engineering kit creates a bacterial Tamagotchi
London Design Festival 2015: Royal College of Art graduate Yi-Wen Tseng has imagined a car powered by bio-printed organs, using synthetic biology to turn a cow's digestive process into a fuel system. More about Yi-Wen Tseng's methane-powered concept car is modelled on a cow's digestive system
For those scared of injections, Royal College of Art student Celine Park has proposed a new immunisation technique: inhaling vaccines through fungus (+ slideshow). More about Mushroom inhalers replace vaccination needles in RCA student proposal
Graduate shows 2015: tiny turbines installed in the arteries of genetically modified cows provide a solution to future energy production in this fictional scenario by RCA graduate Paul Gong. More about Bloodflow of beefed-up bovines harnessed for energy in The Cow of Tomorrow project
Designer and researcher Neri Oxman has successfully 3D-printed one of her "wearable skins" and filled its hollow tubes with a bacterial luminescent liquid to represent how it could host photosynthetic organisms (+ slideshow). More about Neri Oxman 3D prints "photosynthetic wearable" to host living organisms
Dutch artist and philosopher Koert Mensvoort has launched a virtual restaurant featuring a menu of conceptual dishes that could be made possible by lab-grown meat – including knitted mince, a cocktail made from meat foam and sausages grown from living pets (+ slideshow). More about Bistro in Vitro is a virtual restaurant serving the artificial meat dishes of the future