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Accepted manuscript

Rain Microbial Ecologies: Integrating Genomic Tools in Biodesign Education for Future Food Strategies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2026

L. Archer*
Affiliation:
MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London, 1 Granary Sq., King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AA, UK Algal Innovation Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Dowing Street, Cambridge, 3B2 3EA
D. Q. Zhang
Affiliation:
UNSW, Sydney, Australia
A. Taylor
Affiliation:
MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London, 1 Granary Sq., King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AA, UK
Jon Flint
Affiliation:
MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London, 1 Granary Sq., King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AA, UK
N. M. Diniz
Affiliation:
MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London, 1 Granary Sq., King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AA, UK
*
*Author for correspondence. Email: Lorraine Archer, la437@cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

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This paper presents a biodesign pedagogical framework that integrates experiential learning, metagenomic sequencing, and speculative design through the study of London’s rainwater microbiome. While urban systems typically treat rainwater as an inert resource, this research frames it as a dynamic “living medium” hosting diverse microbial life. Utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, postgraduate Biodesign students characterized bacterial, fungal, and microalgal taxa, identifying specific potentials for nutrition, biostimulation, and bioremediation. These microbial insights were subsequently applied to the development of regenerative food systems and urban ecological interventions. By positioning rainwater as an active ecological collaborator, the curriculum enabled students to navigate more-than-human agency, ecological uncertainty, and systems thinking through direct experimentation. This study demonstrates how the integration of genomic tools into design education expands ecological literacy and supports multispecies practices. We conclude by analysing the pedagogical process phases and student outcomes, highlighting how rainwater serves as a critical interface between climate futures, urban metabolism, and living design.

Information

Type
Full Paper: Biodesign Conference
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press