Children and bacteria –– normally they’re a parental nightmare, a cocktail of late-night pediatrician calls and ruined weekends.
The idea of a toy filled with bacteria probably sounds like a recipe for disaster. This team of designers says otherwise.
Meet SquidKid, a prototype toy designed by Northeastern University students that is, essentially, an organic Tamagotchi. Children take care of the bioluminescent bacterial culture in this squid-shaped toy, keeping it alive and glowing. The hope for SquidKid, which earned a finalist spot in the international Biodesign Challenge, is to create not only a lasting friend but a lasting connection between children and the natural world.
“Our real goal was to create a bioreactor that would be ongoing, so you would keep a bacterial culture alive for an extended period of time like you would keep a fish tank or something,” says Deirdre Ni Chonaill, an experience design master’s student and associate director of creative and experience design at Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences. “Kids don’t always treat their toys very well. With Tamagotchi, there are times where if you ignored it, it died. In this case, you’re actually killing something.”
Children must maintain the bacteria housed in SquidKid, providing oxygen, the right “broth,” or food, and consistent agitation. The toy is even designed with a squeezable tentacle that injects oxygen into the system and moves the bacteria, prompting them to glow.
SquidKid began life in the classroom. The team of students designed it as part of their Critical Making for Adaptive Futures class taught by Katia Zolotovsky, an assistant professor of design and biotechnology.
Read more at Northeastern Global News
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
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Joseph Inigo is a lecturer in the MS Biotechnology program at Northeastern University. He received his PhD in Pharmacology and Cancer Therapeutics from the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research studies included identification of mitochondrial targets for cancer therapy, small molecule drug discovery, and development of genetically engineered mouse models of cancer.
Joseph has experience as a scientist in biotech, developing non-viral gene therapy for hematologic diseases. He also has experience in Business Development, conducting competitive intelligence research to guide pipeline strategy.