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MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences

• MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences
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A joint degree that blends science, business & ethics

A joint degree with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students are affiliated with Harvard Medical School through the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology.

The 21st Century will be the century of transformational discoveries in the life sciences. To bring these discoveries to patients, the world needs business leaders working at the intersection of science and society, with deep understanding of biotechnology, life sciences, and management. To meet this need, the MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Program at Harvard University builds upon students’ existing biotech and life sciences knowledge and equips them with the latest business and scientific insights. This empowers them to lead transformative organizations that will advance new drug discoveries and therapeutics.

The curriculum emphasizes developing effective business models in the life-sciences, leading life sciences companies, understanding the ethical implications of new therapeutics, and the importance of equitable access to these discoveries. It leverages the entire resources of Harvard University and works closely with the Greater Boston area, one of the largest biotech clusters in the world.

Key organizations comprising the Harvard health and life science community include, the HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI), HBS Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship, the Harvard Biotech Club, the HBS Health Care Club (HCC), the Harvard Health Innovation Network (HHIN), and the Pagliuca Harvard Life lab, among many others. Watch this webinar to learn more about the joint degree program.

Overview  

Curriculum  , faculty & advisors  , admissions & financial aid  , frequently asked questions  .

The MS/MBA Biotech program is part of a larger community of health care interested students, faculty and alumni at HBS; around the University; and in the greater Boston area, which is one of the largest biotech clusters in the world. Through courses like the Life Sciences, Ethics, and Management seminar, students interact with industry leaders, who discuss challenges they have faced in their various roles.

Key organizations comprising the health and life science community at Harvard include:

• HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI) – The Initiative fosters and promotes faculty research, supports the development of high-impact educational programs and creates an interconnected HBS health care community.
• HBS Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship - The Fellowship offers HBS alumni and Harvard-affiliated postdocs the opportunity to create new ventures around promising life science technologies while developing their leadership talents.
• Harvard Biotech Club – This student organization is on a mission to bridge the gap between industry and academia and provide the education, skills, and network for students to become future leaders in biotech.
• HBS Health Care Club (HCC) – One of the largest student clubs at HBS, the HCC plans an annual conference and numerous networking events for students interested in all industries in this sector.
• Harvard Health Innovation Network (HHIN ) – HHIN’s mission is to promote health care innovation and entrepreneurship across the Harvard ecosystem including its schools and hospitals.
• Harvard i-Lab and Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab – Harvard i-Labs are part of an innovation ecosystem that exists to support Harvard students and select alumni in their quest to explore the world of game-changing entrepreneurship.
• HBS Health Alumni Association (HBS HAA) – The equivalent of the HCC, but for alumni, the HBS HAA has regional programing around the world to help alums stay connected with the school and each other.

Prospective students should be fascinated by the intersection of biotech, pharma, and business. Successful candidates for the program will hold an undergraduate degree in biology (or another life science) and/or have significant workplace experience in biotechnology or life sciences. Candidates with advanced degrees such as an MS, MD, or PhD are warmly welcomed to apply.

If you are unsure whether your background has prepared you sufficiently, consider your familiarity with the topics covered in Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al. Students are expected to be knowledgeable with that level of material. Additionally, students should be comfortable engaging with primary scientific literature.

MS/MBA News  

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African American Student Union Spotlight on Joint Degrees

• 09 Mar 2023

Q&A with the HBS Armed Forces Alumni Association, MBA Class of 2023

• 27 May 2022

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Biotechnology: Life Sciences

GSAS has partnered with Harvard Business School and the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology to offer an M.S./M.B.A. Biotechnology: Life Sciences. The master of science degree is only offered through this joint program and not as a stand-alone degree. Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. should consider programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences.

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Biotechnology Master’s Degree Program

Gain insight into the latest biotechnology discoveries and trends.

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

1 week course in January

$3,220 per course

Program Overview

Through the master’s degree in the field of biotechnology you:

• Develop an understanding of biotechnology theory and research, including human physiology and genetics, cancer, proteomics, genomics, and epigenetics.
• Build knowledge of current industry practices, including biotechnology innovation and molecular biology techniques.
• Gain experience in experimental or case study design, scientific data analysis, writing and communication, ethical practices, and effective collaboration.

Program Benefits

A faculty of biotech professionals and life science instructors from Harvard University

Personalized academic and career advising

Option to produce a capstone project focused on biotechnology innovation

Internship track to explore a topic in bioinformatics, biotech management, or project management

Entrepreneurial opportunities through the Harvard Innovation Labs

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

Our curriculum is flexible in pace and customizable by design. You’ll experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person. You can study part time, choosing courses that fit your schedule and align with your professional goals.

As you work through the 12-course program, you’ll have the opportunity to examine topics like evolutionary genetics in epidemiology, biomedical product development, neurobiology, and biomedical imaging. You’ll choose between two tracks — a capstone or an internship — and visit Cambridge for an immersive in-person experience.

11 Online Courses

• Fall, spring, January, and summer options
• Asynchronous and synchronous formats

Capstone or Internship Track

Create a capstone project focused on innovation in biotech, or complete an internship to explore a topic in bioinformatics, biotech management, or project management.

Come to campus for 1 week in January to attend Genetown , a course where you engage with the vibrant biotech community in Cambridge.

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 3 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies and count toward your degree, helping ensure success in the program.

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

Earning a Stackable Certificate

As you work your way toward your master’s degree, you can take courses that also count — or “stack” — toward a certificate. It’s a cost-effective, time-saving opportunity to build specialized skills and earn a professional credential along the way to your degree.

• Bioinformatics Graduate Certificate
• Biotechnology Management Graduate Certificate
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate

A Faculty of Biotechnology Experts

You’ll learn from Harvard faculty and industry leaders who will help you gain real-world perspectives. Our instructors are renowned experts in the field of biotechnology and bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Masha Fridkis-Hareli

Founder and President, ATR, LLC

Our Community at a Glance

Students in the biotechnology degree program are accomplished professionals who are pursuing the degree to continue their career advancement. They work in fields like biotech, academic research, pharmaceuticals.

Download: Biotechnology Master's Degree Fact Sheet

Average Age

Average Courses Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes

Our biotechnology graduates have gone on to PhD programs in the fields of AI and machine learning, cell and systems biology, proteomics, pharmacy, genetics, and neurogenetics at national universities. They are employed in the field of biotechnology and related industries such as pharmaceuticals, hospital and health care, and medical devices.

Roles held by recent graduates include: 

• Antibody Engineer
• Biotechnology Engineer
• Computational Biologist
• Data Scientist
• Field Application Specialist
• Senior R&D Manager

Alumni work at a variety of organizations, including:

• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Broad Institute
• New England BioLabs
• Wyss Institute

Career Advising and Mentorship

Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, Harvard alumni mentor connections, and career fairs like the annual Harvard Biotech, Pharma, & Healthcare Expo on campus at Harvard.

Your Harvard University Degree

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will receive your Harvard University degree — a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Biotechnology.

Expand Your Connections: The Harvard Alumni Network

As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).

I leave not only with a master’s degree and certificate, but also a business plan and the knowledge, experiences, and resources that allow me to take this idea I had and turn it into something that can help others.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

Biotechnology Master’s FAQs

How long does it take to complete a master’s degree in biotechnology.

The time it takes to complete a master’s degree in biotechnology depends on the program you select. Most Harvard Extension School students also work full time while working on their master’s degree, and they take an average of two to four years to complete depending on course load. Extension students are required to complete their degree courses in five years.

Will earning a master’s in biotechnology help me advance my career?

Many students currently working toward a master’s in biotechnology are doing so to advance their career. Pursuing a master’s degree in a specific field demonstrates to your employer that you care about continuing to learn in your field. Earning an advanced degree can also help you differentiate yourself to prospective employers and gain expertise in specific areas of the field.

Related Programs

• Biology Master’s Degree Program

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Graduate Program

Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary program where students are free to collaborate and interact closely with other labs as well as with centers and schools across the Harvard engineering and medical campuses. You will learn how bioengineering integrates fundamental engineering disciplines such as thermodynamics and fluid mechanics with the physical and life sciences while drawing on mathematics and computational sciences. This convergence will enable you to understand the operation of living systems that leads to the design of novel solutions to address critical problems in medicine and biology.

Bioengineers at Harvard are making advances in bio-inspired robotics and computing, biometrics and motor control, cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials, and therapeutics. Examples of projects current and past students have worked on include embedding stretchable nanoelectronics into brain organoids to study brain development and developing injectable clotting agents to reduce blood loss.

Graduate education is focused on individualized programs tailored to the interests, needs, and background of the student. Students are integral to the interdisciplinary and integrated approach to design, discovery and innovation. As such, students from diverse technical backgrounds are encouraged and welcomed to join us. We seek to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community, and to shape them into visionary scholars, innovative educators, and creative leaders.

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Bioengineering Degree

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers a  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)  degree in Engineering Sciences: Bioengineering , conferred through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Doctoral students may earn the masters degree en route to the Ph.D.  Prospective students apply through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate of School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). In the online application, select “Engineering and Applied Sciences” as your program choice and select “PhD Engineering Sciences: Bioengineering” in the area of study menu.

The Bioengineering program does not offer an independent Masters Degree.

Bioengineering Career Paths

Graduates of the program have gone on to a range of careers in industry in companies like McKinsey & Company and Medtronic. Others have positions in academia at MIT, Vanderbilt, and Stanford.

Admissions & Academic Requirements

Please review the  admissions requirements and other information  before applying. Prospective students apply through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate of School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). In the online application, select “Engineering and Applied Sciences” as your program choice and select “PhD Engineering Sciences: Bioengineering” in the area of study menu. Our website also provides  admissions guidance ,  program-specific requirements , and a  PhD program academic timeline .

Academic Background

Applicants typically have bachelor’s degrees in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, or engineering. 

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted

Bioengineering Faculty & Research Areas

View a list of our  Bioengineering faculty  and  Bioengineering affiliated research areas . Please note that faculty members listed as “Affiliates" or "Lecturers" cannot serve as the primary research advisor.

• Centers & Initiatives

View a list of the  research centers & initiatives at SEAS  and the  Bioengineering faculty engagement with these entities .

Graduate Student Clubs

Graduate student clubs and organizations bring students together to share topics of mutual interest. These clubs often serve as an important adjunct to course work by sponsoring social events and lectures. Graduate student clubs are supported by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin School of Arts and Sciences. Explore the list of active clubs and organizations .

Funding and Scholarship

Learn more about financial support for PhD students.

• How to Apply

Learn more about how to apply  or review frequently asked questions for prospective graduate students.

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2023 Program Participants

Luis Bonilla is a 3rd year Mathematics student at Salem State University with a minor in Sustainability. Luis is an immigrant from El Salvador and was the first in his family to graduate from high school and will soon be the first to earn a college degree. Luis aspires to continue his education by attending graduate school, with a focus on Computational Mathematics to help model the world through scientific methods utilizing both math and computer science. Luis hopes to meld his passion for environmental justice with his Computational Mathematics studies to help create a planet that is a safe and just place for future generations.

Jaiann Caton is from Brooklyn, New York City, and recently graduated from Spelman College at the age of 20, where she majored in Health Sciences. Jaiann plans to pursue her M.D./Ph.D. at New York University and aspires to become a Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon specializing in reconstructive and cosmetic surgical procedures. Jaiann aims to continue making a difference in the world by educating the public on the importance of their health and improve the lives of underrepresented and under-resourced communities by minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. She also seeks to improve health trends within populations and implement better quality healthcare for patients. Jaiann is very enthusiastic about participating in the summer program.

Brandon Causing graduated in May 2023 from the University of Florida as a triple major in Mathematics, Statistics, and Economics. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Biostatistics and apply his love for the mathematical sciences to issues in public health and medicine. Furthermore, he aims to support fellow first-generation college students in navigating their interests in graduate studies and biomedical research. Brandon’s current research interests lie in enhancing the statistical methods behind predictive modeling, population genomics, and clinical trials, especially in HIV/AIDS and cancer research. Ultimately, he aspires to help eliminate health disparities through work with federal health agencies and academic medical centers as a biostatistician.

Selma Chamime completed an Information Technology degree at Simmons University with a focus in business management. Selma had research opportunities that helped her develop skills in leadership and teamwork. Her previous experiences have supported the development of her data analysis and research. She has gained diverse and valuable experiences through her various roles and internships. These experiences have shaped her both personally and professionally, fostering a multidisciplinary approach and a passion for making a meaningful impact in various fields. She would like to begin a career in Big Data and Usability and hope to exercise the skills that she has acquired, specifically the use of biotechnology, an industry that experiences a great deal of change and evokes important questions and research about improving healthcare. Her current focus is to use her skills to make a positive impact on public health and                                                                                                        innovative research.

Sophia C. Delgado Astacio is a fourth-year student at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus (UPRH), where she is completing a double major in General Biology and Microbiology. Sophia leads her own Biomedical research with a focus on Epidemiology, in which she applies statistical resources to identify the prevalence of endocrinological diseases present in Puerto Rican women. One of Sophia’s academic goals after she graduates in 2024, is to be accepted into medical school and obtain her M.D. in the field of Endocrinology. She is passionate about incorporating medicine and her background in biostatistics, with her community.

Adam Genda is a first-generation college student in his third year at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul (MN). He is majoring in Biology, and is dedicated to integrating concepts in biology, mathematics, and statistics. He plans to earn a Ph.D. in Biostatistics to fulfill his missions, which are to simplify complicated data, find new meaning in patterns, and communicate those insights to others. Adam hopes to achieve many milestones in his career including directing study designs, implementing novel statistical methods, and developing programs to work more effectively with biological data. Additionally, he aspires to one day serve as a director of a computational biology lab or as an analyst in a research laboratory.

Cade McManus is a rising Junior at Harvard College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Statistics. He is considering pursuing a Ph.D. in pure Statistics or Biostatistics after graduating. Cade is currently interested in causal inference, and how to incorporate mathematical rigor into experimental design. He believes that using statistics to study causation is critical for advancing scientific knowledge and making informed decisions.

In the future, Cade hopes to have the opportunity to apply statistical methods to a wide range of biological problems – both in academia and in industry.

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Congratulations to our recent PhD Graduates!

• Thursday, May 2, 2024

Congratulations to our new PhD Graduates!

Dr. Botagoz Ussen

who defended her dissertation titled “Red Feminism: The Politics and Poetics of Liberation” on Monday, April 22, 2024 Faculty advisors: Professors Karen Thornber, William Todd, Marc Shell, & Tomiko Yoda

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Congratulations to Mai Nguyen ’24: 2023–2024 Bowdoin Undergraduate Prize Winner!

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Light Speed on the Information Superhighway

Nanoscale photonic technologies could make data transmission faster and more sustainable

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The data generated annually grows exponentially as users continue to collect, communicate, and process more information using computer systems. Also growing are the energy demands of these processes. A single query using an artificial intelligence client, for example, has been found to consume 5 to 10 times more energy than conventional search engines. Meeting this growing demand requires the development of technologies to make data handling more sustainable. 

“The ways we create data are exploding,” says 2024 Harvard Horizons Scholar Dylan Renaud, who graduates with a PhD in applied physics this May. “When it comes to meeting global data demand, we can’t just increase the power consumption of our data centers indefinitely. We need devices that can operate faster and that are more energy efficient.”

As a PhD candidate in applied physics at the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Renaud has developed new technologies that respond to the critical need for quicker, more sustainable data transmission. His 2024 Harvard Horizons project, “Nanoscale Photonics: The Power of Tiny Devices for Solving the World’s Largest Challenges,” combines research in the emerging field of nanoscale photonics––how light interacts with very small objects––with practical computing applications to create novel devices that move information via light. This hardware, Renaud says, will be crucial as the amount of data in the world continues to expand rapidly.

Better and Faster

As part of his PhD research, Renaud has developed short-wavelength integrated photonic circuits in thin-film lithium niobate. His devices contain features as much as a hundred times smaller than the thickness of human hair. “These tiny devices allow us to route light inside them,” he says,“ and also interact very energy-efficiently with that light to change its color or turn it on and off very quickly. Those kinds of operations are foundational to the way that we send information around the world today.”

There are distinct advantages to using light as an information carrier when transferring data between points on a computer network. One of the most important is signal loss. When information is moved from one place to another using an electric current, for instance, that current interacts with the transmitting material in ways that significantly weaken the signal. Light, however, only weakly experiences transmission loss. 

“I can store information in light, for example, by varying its intensity,” Renaud says. “I can send it wherever I want and that information is essentially preserved. Furthermore, with optical signals, I can send many different colors of light along a channel with information encoded in each color—meaning, I can send more information per unit time—without additional loss or cross-talk of the light.”

Though Renaud draws on these general advantages of using light as an information carrier, his specific contributions to the field have involved designing and manufacturing small-scale modulators, devices that manipulate properties of light such as its phase or intensity. “Dylan has made exceptional contributions to optical modulators, or rapid information switches, that are compact enough to be compatible with the electronic circuitry on computer chips in current use and are also efficient and can operate at very high speeds,” explains Evelyn Hu, the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Harvard and a collaborator on Renaud’s research. 

Dylan has made exceptional contributions to optical modulators, or rapid information switches, that are compact enough to be compatible with the electronic circuitry on computer chips in current use and are also efficient and can operate at very high speeds. —Professor Evelyn Hu

Hu notes that Renaud’s work with lithium niobate chips has entailed “strategic modeling and design of the devices” as well as careful implementation of nanofabrication techniques. Through this work, the Horizons scholar has been able to design devices that are smaller and demonstrably more power-efficient than conventional technologies, which is important given the world’s rapidly increasing usage of data––and its associated material, energy, and environmental costs.

Finally, Renaud notes that this technology is not just limited to impacting our modern-day data infrastructure. In particular, he emphasizes that the ability to control light’s properties energy-efficiently and with very little loss is also important for enabling next-generation technologies such as quantum computing. “Some of the leading quantum computing technologies are based on using light as your carrier of quantum information, called qubits,” he says. Quantum computing approaches that rely on photons—quanta of light—can benefit from Renaud’s devices, since the ability to control a photon’s properties with little loss of signal is crucial for scaling up the technologies. 

From Homeschooled to Harvard

As a high schooler, Renaud didn’t know for sure that he would eventually want to work in science––or even that he would attend college. But in retrospect, Renaud says he can trace his skills and curiosity back to his family upbringing. “My whole story in the sciences started in a suburb in New Jersey,” Renaud reflects. “I was homeschooled by my mother, along with my five brothers. When I look back at that, I realize that that was a really seminal experience mainly because my parents dedicated a lot of effort toward teaching us how to learn on our own, take initiative in our work, and problem-solve. It turns out these are the same skills that are valuable in doing a PhD and doing independent research.”

The emphasis on active, individualized learning in a homeschool setting also enabled Renaud to delve into specific areas of interest, he says, through homeschool class projects, special topics taught in a multifamily homeschool cooperative, and community college coursework in his later high school years. “I first got interested in the ‘sciences of the small’––nanoscale sciences––during high school,” he recalls, “and it was more of a cursory interest then. I was reading books in the library about it. I didn’t really consider it as something I would do in the future.”

An offer of a full scholarship for college at the New Jersey Institute of Technology encouraged Renaud to enroll there for a bachelor’s degree, which led him to study physics––and to work on nanoscience research projects in labs in the US and abroad. As a summer participant in the NanoJapan undergraduate research internship program, Renaud began to feel more strongly about pursuing nanoscience research. “We were living in Okinawa and working very long hours, but it was also very fun. I would say that experience steered me toward realizing what I’m really interested in exploring more,” he says.

Coming to Harvard for his PhD and joining the Laboratory for Nanoscale Optics, headed by Tiantsai Lin Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics Marko Lončar,   led Renaud to his current interest in working on developing devices that combine nanoscale materials with light and with important practical applications. While quantum computing concepts and technologies have been the topic of substantial theoretical and academic research in recent years, Renaud says his work in Professor Lončar’s group has made him hopeful for broader real-world uses of the integrated photonic circuit technologies that he and other members of the research group are developing.

“There are now more and more startups that focus on this technology, integrated photonic circuits, for things like communications and data centers. Also, people are looking at using this for more exploratory technologies, like helping develop quantum computing or enabling things like virtual reality,” Renaud says. (Professor Lončar himself is a co-founder of one such startup, called HyperLight, that makes some of the research group’s lithium niobate devices commercially available.) “My hope is that this technology is actually used in the world and that it’s not just relegated to papers within academia. We can do measurements in the lab and see that our device is nominally more efficient than what is commercially available––but at the end of the day, none of that matters unless our technology is actually used. These devices could offer solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.”

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How Bio-Based Building Materials Are Transforming Architecture

Bio-based material samples on display at “Material Time,” Harvard GSD, April 12, 2024. All photos: Maggie Janik.

A colorful grid of bio-based tiles rests atop a black surface. Created as sustainable alternatives to products ranging from acoustic cladding to frosted glass, the tiles derive from eggshells, expired lentils, and other green waste. These palm-sized squares, despite their origins in food scraps, invite tactile investigation. The same lure emanates from a neighboring rug swatch woven from Abaca fiber; a masonry-like block composed of sugarcane; and textile strips made from apple pomace. This enticing display accompanied “ Material Time ,” a day-long symposium at the Harvard Graduate School of Design held in mid-April that explored our emerging relationship with bio-based materials.

Amelia Gan MDes ’23 organized “Material Time” in her capacity as the GSD’s 2023–24 Irving Innovation Fellow. She collaborated with Ann Whiteside , Assistant Dean for Information Studies at the GSD, and Margot Nishimura, Dean of Libraries at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), who had previously cofounded Material Order , a knowledge-sharing resource for design materials collections in academic libraries. Conceptualizing the symposium, the three organizers identified practitioners, researchers, and educators at various stages in their careers whose work touches on design scales from microbes to building systems to outer space. The resulting discussion foregrounded the urgent need for transformations in how we think about and interact with the materials that comprise our built environment.

Concrete, aluminum, and steel rank among the most prevalent materials in contemporary construction. They are also quite costly in terms of their environmental toll. Developed from dwindling non-renewable resources, such conventional engineered building products inflict widespread ecological harm, from their extractive, carbon-intensive manufacturing processes to their final disposal in landfills where they languish, leaching pollutants into the earth. Bio-based counterparts offer a potential alternative to these destructive materials.

In her introductory remarks to the symposium, Gan announced that the time has come for design professionals to “critically rethink our material choices.” Indeed, “the prevailing ethos, which celebrates idealized, unchanging form, finds itself at a crossroads challenged by materials sensitive to environmental changes,” Gan continued. “How do we reconsider the way we represent and construct our environment?” Fortunately, bio-based materials offer a compelling lens through which to reexamine construction techniques as well as expectations about how materials look and what they can do.

Consider bacterial biocement, as fabricated by Laura Maria Gonzalez, founder of Microbi Design and former researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab. Utilizing computational design and 3D printing, Gonzalez creates sculptural molds infused with sand and bacteria. As the microbes are fed, the mixture hardens into solid forms that, with continued nourishment, become stronger over time. If fractures occur, these living bricks heal themselves through microbial growth. They may even be programmed to signal, through a change in color, the presence of environmental toxins such as lead or arsenic. For Gonzalez, bacterial biocement promises more than a sustainable replacement for more carbon-intensive materials; it presents an opportunity to think about “how we integrate these organisms as living systems to engage more deeply with our environment.”

Paul Lewis, principal of LTL Architects and Professor at Princeton University School of Architecture, emphasized a different behavior we could seek from bio-based materials—that of performing multiple functions. As opposed to aggregated thin, lightweight, single-use products that comprise the typical modernist building section—structure, insulation, waterproofing, and so on—Lewis has experimented with using straw in bale-like configurations that act simultaneously as insulation and load-bearing structure, from which space can be carved. Lewis advocated embracing ideas that are “fundamentally at odds” with the “given values we’ve inherited from modernism,” aligning his explorations with the growing recognition that buildings as constructed throughout the past century have played a significant role in our current ecological predicament. John May , cofounder of MILLIØNS and Associate Professor of Architecture at the GSD, echoed this sentiment as he characterized the term, and the very concept of, “waste” as a vestige of a past industrial capitalist era. Rather, that which has been previously seen as waste should now be embraced as raw materials for other processes.

Underscoring the significance of terminology, Lola Ben-Alon, Assistant Professor and Director of the Natural Materials Lab at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP), cautioned that “bio-based” materials are not necessarily less extractive or energy intensive than conventional materials. To ascertain environmental impact, she advocated examining a product’s entire life cycle, with a focus on a system’s inputs and outputs. “How are these bio-based materials produced?” Ben-Alon asked. “And where? What are the processes involved in the extraction of these materials? Where are they extracted? And can we pose other means or methods of locally creating these materials?” Such systems thinking—understood as a holistic approach that views component parts in relation to the broader dynamic systems to which they belong—emerged throughout the symposium.

For example, systems thinking came to the fore with Lina Ghotmeh ’s presentation, which focused on her design firm’s use of bio-sourced materials. Ghotmeh—currently Kenzo Tange Design Critic in Architecture at the GSD—featured the recently completed Hermès Maroquinerie de Louviers, a leather workshop constructed with locally manufactured low-carbon bricks that showcase the skill of Normandy’s brickmakers. This project is the first industrial building to earn the French E4C2 label, denoting the country’s highest recognized levels of energy efficiency (it is a positive energy building) and operational efficiency (in terms of carbon footprint reduction).

Drawing on concepts resonant with systems thinking, Martin Bechtold , Kumagai Professor of Architectural Technology and Co-director of the Doctor in Design Studies Program, discussed the iterative processes of science and design, highlighting their similarities and differences, particularly that designers tend to work at a larger scale. And later, Pablo Pérez-Ramos , Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the GSD, expanded the conversation beyond our planet with a consideration of thermodynamics and ways in which these universal laws may help us grapple with conditions of extreme heat in certain landscapes.

Yet another instance of system thinking emerged in the position of Jennifer Bissonnette, Interim Director of RISD’s Nature Lab, who called for “artists and designers to have a certain level of eco literacy.” Design programs, Bissonnette argued, have a responsibility to “turn out people who have a sense of how ecosystems function,” the “cycles, flows, nested systems, development, dynamic balance” that serve as “organizing principles of the natural world.” Likewise, she advocated that scientists be schooled in studio methodology and design thinking to broaden their investigative repertoires. Such pedagogical shifts would go a long way in facilitating the multidisciplinary cooperation—from conceptualization and experimentation through scaling up to real-world manufacturing and application—that bio-based materials necessitate.

Reflecting on “Material Time” a few weeks later, Gan reiterated the need to overcome disciplinary silos. “These conversations shouldn’t happen in a vacuum, yet that often tends to occur,” especially when operating in the complex realm of bio-based materials, which encompasses design, biology, engineering, politics, ecology, sociology, and more. “The challenge is,” Gan continued, “how do you move from a high-level conversation to productive action?” Formulated to further interdisciplinary and intergenerational discussions within the GSD and beyond, “Material Time” offered an exemplary step in the right direction.

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National Institutes of Health Career Symposium

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Graduate students and postdocs:

“The NIH Career Symposium is a virtual event highlighting the diversity of career choices available to biomedical researchers. This event provides career exploration and networking opportunities for graduate students, postdocs, and fellows in the NIH Intramural Research Program. Graduate students and postdocs from outside the NIH are also welcome to attend.

Whether you’re a graduate student, a postdoc, clinical fellow, or a senior student looking for a job, this event will help you explore your career options. Come to network with professionals and peers and learn strategies for navigating the job search process.”

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Note: This is a career-related event (not hosted by MCS) shared because it is open to Harvard students.  

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