(In)visibles

About

(In)visibles bridges the gap between science and field with the design of BACUA: a portable tool based on farming practices that applies dead bacteria in a matrix to capture heavy metals in contaminated water intended for irrigation; preventing the ingestion of food contaminated by metals.

The primary focus is to bring affordable biotechnology closer to farmers and make heavy metal contamination visible, reducing the uncertainty about the contamination of their crops. An educational and user-friendly workshop was also designed that effectively demonstrates bacteria function and raises awareness about the severity of heavy metal contamination. Furthermore, a digital content was created, distributed through WhatsApp chains, a widely used communication platform and an instructional video guide on the use of Bacua that allows the community to understand the relevance of microorganisms as well as the consequences of heavy metal contamination, having a broader perspective on the impact it has on society.

(In)visibles is an undergraduate thesis project that was developed as the continuation of the conceptual project LixiLab.

The project was chosen to showcase at the Prototypes for Humanity 2023 in Dubai and was finalist in the Community category of the “Design Responds” competition, Latin American Challenge Index Award + UDD 2023.