Branching Morphogenesis 

A Project by Sabin+Jones LabStudio
University of Pennsylvania

SIGGRAPH 2008 Design and Computation Galleries

Branching Morphogenesis is a scaled datascape that captures a creative process that encompasses intersections between design and science. 75,000 zip ties have filtered the force network exerted by cells at a microscope. At all stages of the filtering and scaling process, the network is adjusted by new constraints. The final artifact is a synthesis, a biosynthesis, for people to inhabit and experience.

This project explores fundamental processes in living systems and their potential application in architecture. The project investigates part-to-whole relationships revealed during the generation of branched structures formed in real-time by interacting lung endothelial cells placed within a 3D matrix environment. The installation materializes five slices in time that capture the force network exerted by interacting vascular cells upon their matrix environment. The time lapses manifest as five vertical, interconnected layers made from over 75,000 cable zip ties.

The Branching Morphogenesis project won the AAAS/NSF International Visualization Challenge and was featured on the cover of Science, 19 February 2010. "The AAAS/NSF International Visualization Challenge recognizes outstanding achievement in the use of visual media tom promote understanding of research results and scientific phenomena. The judges’ criteria for evaluating the entries included visual impact, innovation and accuracy."

A project by Sabin+Jones LabStudio

Design Team: Jenny E. Sabin, Andrew Lucia

In Collaboration with Peter Lloyd Jones and Jones Lab

Simulations with Christopher Lee

Assembly Team: Dwight Engel, Matthew Lake, Austin McInerny, Marta Moran, Misako Murata, Jones Lab members

Special thanks to Annette Fierro for critical commentary.