Maker in residence: DeakinBio.

In association with NOMA, we continue our maker in residence platform, which aims to champion and celebrate local creatives; those pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and what’s coming next.

From woodwork to ceramics and biomaterials, we welcome all disciplines and showcase grassroots making at its very best. Nurturing emerging talent is an extremely important part of our ethos at Material Source Studio, and so we’re delighted to share this space.

Next up is DeakinBio, a collective that produces sustainable bioinspired alternatives to ceramic tiles. Inspired by nature, the resulting materials have structures and compositions similar to natural composites such as seashells, tooth enamel and pearl.

Learn more about DeakinBio below, and pop into Material Source Studio, 1 Federation Street, Manchester, to view the team's work up close.

Can you please introduce us to DeakinBio?

"We’re an early stage startup based in Manchester and we’re developing sustainable bio-based alternatives to ceramic tiles. Our tiles have bioinspired structures similar to natural materials such as seashells, tooth enamel and pearl. By avoiding high-temperature firing, our materials should have an 80-90% lower carbon footprint compared with ordinary ceramics.

"There are currently four in our team: Aoife is our CEO and leader, she’s completing a PhD in biochemistry. Aled is our CTO and technical lead, he has a background in chemistry and biomaterials development. Sunny is a research associate and head of design and is a multidisciplinary artist based in Leeds. Alessia is also a research associate with a background in protein biophysics and structural biology. Our materials are produced in-house (Aled’s house, specifically) but we’re currently expending into some labs based at the University of Manchester."

How did you come together as a collective?

"We met through a Manchester-based organisation that facilitates collaborations between artists and scientists. We formed a group based around biomaterials and in the last year have developed a handful of product concepts that we’re really excited about."

Can you briefly explain your making process?

"Essentially we combine a mineral powder with a plant- or algae-based binder to produce a material that’s functionally equivalent to a ceramic tile, but has a fraction of the carbon footprint."

How important is material research and sourcing to your end product?

"Very important - material research and development is the core of what we do and we have quite technical backgrounds to ensure we develop our products as sustainably and efficiently as possible. We consider material sourcing from the outset, and will only use low-carbon ingredients that are ethically sourced."

How would you describe Manchester's creative scene?

"Manchester has an extremely vibrant creative scene that is a mixing pot of diverse disciplines and backgrounds which fosters innovation and collaboration. We’re really grateful to be based amongst such a supportive network of creatives."

What does it mean to be maker in residence at Material Source Studio?

"Being a maker in residence is really valuable for us as it allows us to showcase our tiles in person with new audiences. We’re particularly looking forward to getting feedback from designers and architects to help inform our development going forwards."