Team Bio

We are 4 women developing a new biomaterial device that can generate electricity, using the protein nanowires from Geobacter Sulfurreducens.

Our vision is of a regenerative energy future, where our electronics are growable and compostable. We're committed to developing this technology in an open, collaborative manner, engaging with and empowering the wider community biology movement.

That’s the idea behind Electric Skin: A Self-Powering Material,Beautiful, Growable, Compostable.

Paige Perillat-Piratoine

With a background in Geography, Business Management, and Futures, my experience is profoundly collaborative and interdisciplinary. I initially worked in urban agriculture in an effort to reconcile cities and their food sources, but soon realised it is the materiality of our cities that is problematic. That our future materials can be grown, living, circular. As a result, I am specialized in biomaterial innovation, crafting my own biodesign experiments to gain knowledge and coordinating innovators on a professional basis to bring solutions to life.

Sequoia Fischer

Sequoia Fischer is from Arizona’s desert Sky Islands. She grew up hiking, dancing, and dreaming of new worlds for herself and many animal friends. She always begged her mom for more plants and pets, finding a kinship with a diversity of life beyond humans. On her adventures through the desert, she would build forts from dried out agave and mesquite branches. She loved to be busy, learning, and creating.

As an adult she held true to the same elements of her early life: dreaming, creating, and building for her animal, human, and plant friends. She graduated from the University of Arizona with two bachelor degrees, one in Ecology/Evolutionary Biology and the other in 3D Studio Art. Later in life she moved to Spain to study the architect Antoni Gaudí and earn her Masters in Biodigital Architecture.

Early in her career in California’s Bay Area, she worked as a protein engineer/ synthetic biologist in hopes that this path would help her build beautiful things with nature. She now finds herself working with three other talented woman from across the globe in their biotech startup, Electric Skin. Their mission is to grow self charging biodegradable electronics that could one day be used to power our homes.

In the coming years she hopes to continue to build with nature, providing healthy habitats for her human family and the diversity of life on Earth.

Catherine Euale

Catherine Euale, a Venezuelan-Canadian artist and citizen scientist, combines various disciplines such as bio art, conceptual art, open-source citizen science, microbiology, and digital fabrication. Her work explores the intricate connections between humans and other species, merging realms like biological arts, mycology, interspecies communication, bioethics, and ART-ivism.

Catherine's focus in on working with microorganisms, organic materials, wearable or sculptural pieces that are grown or partly alive. Her aim is to create a sense of biophilia - the innate desire and love for all living things. She aims heal the concept of the inanimate the objectified and the disposable by bringing context into our objects. Her work portrays their aliveness, through bio-materiality. She works in collaboration with algae, fungi, slime molds, bacteria and plants. She uses digital fabrication, electronics and 3D worldbuilding where applicable to create her pieces and their presentation in a space, crafting a holistic sensory experience.

Euale has showcased at exhibitions such as Dear 2050: Oceans on the Rise in Switzerland, Milan Design week on three ocasions, Dubai Cop28, MIT BioSummit. Her recognition and climate art award from Climanosco highlight her talent in effectively communicating scientific concepts and engaging audiences in critical discussions on biodiversity conservation.

Collaborating often with diverse and multidisciplinary teams, she ensures that the outcomes of her projects encompass thorough research, feasibility, and artistic value, materiality and emotional response. Her work is conscious of people, place, and biodiversity, and strives to give "voices" to the more than human world.

Nada Elkharashi

Nada Elkharashi is an Interdisciplinary

Designer and a Design Researcher focused
on creating thought-provoking experiences
and realities. Her work lies at the intersection
of materiality, cultural philosophy, and
human ecology. In particular, she explores
natural materials and handmade techniques
to imbue everyday objects with cultural
insight that, in turn, stimulate and informs
behavioral culture advancements.
Her work results in product designs,
interactive installations, artworks,
storytelling sensory exhibitions, furniture
and visual content.
Nada Elkharashi received a Fellowship in
Master of Fine Arts in I Interdisciplinary
Design Studies—MFA, and a
HBKU sponsorship in Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Interior Architecture/ Interior Design— BFA
from Virginia Commonwealth University in
Qatar.