Imperial College London Living Code, Living Materials Lecture

Professor Tom Ellis explores how synthetic biology is changing the way we think about making materials. The lecture looks at how rewriting DNA can turn microbes into programmable micro-factories, enabling the creation of sustainable materials, fabrics and bio-composites for a more bio-based future.

The talk explains how researchers are combining synthetic biology with materials engineering to develop Engineered Living Materials. It highlights the shift from simply reading the code of life to actively designing it, and considers how programming living cells could support sustainable manufacturing, food production and smarter infrastructure.