Microbial Donuts explores how emerging approaches to food design can be informed by biological systems, synthetic biology, and digital fabrication technologies. Developed in parallel with the prototyping and early development of the Biorealize microbial design studio in Dr. Orkan Telhan’s lab at the Weitzman School of Design, the project reimagines the humble donut not simply as a mass-produced food object, but as a speculative platform for nutritional enhancement and biological customization. Drawing from principles of bioengineering, the project proposes the use of genetically engineered yeast capable of producing added nutrients, such as Vitamin A precursors, directly within the food production process itself.

The project was featured in the September 2016 issue (#11) of O'Reilly Media’s BioCoder magazine.