About

"Within 24 hours of moving into a new place we overwrite it with our own microbes, turning it into a reflection of ourselves."

-         Ed Yong, I Contain Multitudes

Biodesign Sprint: Microbial Futures is a two-month design program and competition that extends an abbreviated version of the Biodesign Challenge to researchers, schools, startups, and community laboratories invested in exploring how microbial life can be used in design applications for planetary and human health.

Less than 0.001% of microbial species have been discovered by humans, creating a tremendous opportunity for fundamental research and applied science. Biodesign Challenge already has a rich history of projects engaged with microbiology, validating the prospects of a competition with a focus on designing with microbial communities..

As with the Biodesign Challenge’s flagship program, individuals participating in the Biodesign Sprint: Microbial Futures program use BDC resources to develop innovative biotechnology and design solutions to benefit society and the planet. Like the problems they address, Biodesign Sprint projects may take many forms. Successful projects include everything from bacterial biosensors to living materials, microbiome-engineered systems, and cultural uses of synthetic biology.

The Biodesign Sprint is the brainchild of Biodesign Challenge. For over a decade, BDC has partnered schools with industry professionals, designers, artists, and biotechnologists to explore new uses for biotechnology. In 2025, Sprint teams created projects that considered biodesign’s role in oceanic futures.