About

“The problem of the relations between machine and organism has generally been studied in only one direction: almost always, the attempt has been to explain the structure and function of the organism on the basis of the structure and function of an already-constructed machine. Only rarely has anyone sought to understand the very construction of the machine on the basis of the structure and function of the organism.”

-         Georges Canguilhem, Knowledge of Life

Biodesign Sprint: Biodigital 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 cutting-edge design that integrates biological and computational processes.

As with the Biodesign Challenge’s flagship program, individuals participating in the Biodesign Sprint: Biodigital 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 GenAI systems to soft robotics, gene-engineered storage systems, and cultural uses of computational 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.