Living Matter Lab
Making healthcare more affordable, effective and personal is one of the great challenges of our time. In the Living Matter Lab, we pioneer new technologies that empower individuals by making information about their own biology and biome more accessible. In particular, we are exploring the development of compact and highly configurable digital microfluidic biochips that have the potential to move a variety of complex diagnostics out of the lab and into the home.
Successful development of this technology depends on the contributions of many disciplines: computer science, nanotechnology, biology and microbiology, genetics, social science, art and more. Taking an open source and collaborative approach, we are building a broad and diverse community that can contribute to the success of this nascent medical technology by sharing ideas or submitting experiments to be run in the lab. This approach to healthcare innovation is a major shift away from current norms, so as we plumb the potential of this new approach to microfluidics, we are also exploring more inclusive and democratic models for healthcare innovation.泭
Working at the intersection of technology and art, we are passionate about interfacing with living matter, specifically with the micro-organism泭part of our being and our environment. Research in our lab is a continuous play with biology, engineering and art to explore the lost connection of the humankind with all other kinds.
At a泭technical level, our research focuses around digital microfluidic biochips, devices that泭enable direct interaction of humans with their microbiome for diagnosis and treatment purposes. As an artistic investigation, we are looking into experiencing the micro-world in unique ways, e.g., microbiomes as a source for sustainability, bioluminescence as a guidance for escaping darkness, etc.
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Living Matter Lab Publications
Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez, Sepideh Mohammadi, Latifa Al Naimi, Shira David, Mirela Alistar. 2025. . In: TEI '25: Proceedings of the Nineteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. (Bordeaux/Talence, France, March 4 - 7, 2025).
Mirela Alistar, Shira David, Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez. 2025. . In: TEI '25: Proceedings of the Nineteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. (Bordeaux/Talence, France, March 4 - 7, 2025).
Jingwen Zhu, Fiona Bell, Katherine W Song, Katia Vega, Aditya Shekhar Nittala, Mirela Alistar, Leah Buechley, Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao. 2025. . In: CHI EA '25: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. (Yokohama, Japan; April 26 - May 1, 2025).
Aditi Maheshwari, Fiona Bell, Eric Gallo, Mihai Ibanescu, Emily Robertson, Charlotte Fairless, Francis Logan, Mary Jane Schmuhl, Henry Cheung, Michael Rein, Andreea Danielescu, Mirela Alistar. 2025. "". In: ACS Omega. (January 23, 2025).
Nadia Campo Woytuk, Fiona Bell, Joo Young Park, Mirela Alistar, Madeline Balaam. 2024. "". In:泭HttF '24: Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium. (October 21, 2024).
Mirela Alistar, Latifa Al-Naimi, Sepideh Mohammadi, Shira David, Julia Tung, Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez. 2024. "". In:泭UbiComp '24: Companion of the 2024 on ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing. (October 5, 2024).
Dreycey Albin, Michelle Ramsahoye, Eitan Kochavi,泭Mirela Alistar. 2024. "". In: Frontiers in Microbiology, Volume 15. (September 16, 2024).
Netta Ofer, Mirela Alistar. 2024. "". In:泭DIS '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference. (July 1, 2024).泭
Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez,泭Mirela Alistar,泭Laura Devendorf, and泭Michael L. Rivera. 2024.泭. In:泭Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 24). (Honolulu, HI, May 1116, 2024).
Latifa Al-Naimi, Mirela Alistar. 2024. "". In:泭CHI '24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. (Honolulu, HI, May 1116, 2024).
Katherine W Song, Fiona Bell, Himani Deshpande, Ilan Mandel, Tiffany Wun, Mirela Alistar, Leah Buechley, Wendy Ju, Jeeeun Kim, Eric Paulos, Samar Sabie, Ron Wakkary. 2024. "Sustainable Unmaking: Designing for Biodegradation, Decay, and Disassembly". In:泭CHI EA '24: Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. (Honolulu, HI, May 1116, 2024).
Fiona Bell, Shanel Wu, Nadia Campo Woytuk, Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez, Mirela Alistar, Leah Buechley. 2024. "". In:泭TEI '24: Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction.泭(February 11, 2024).
Fiona Bell, Joshua Coffie, Mirela Alistar. 2024. "". In:泭TEI '24: Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction.泭(February 11, 2024).
Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez,泭Lily M Gabriel,泭Mikhaila Friske,泭Shanel Wu,泭Sasha De Koninck,泭Laura Devendorf, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023. "". In:泭Adjunct Proceedings of the 2023 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing &泭the 2023 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computing (UbiComp/ISWC '23 Adjunct).泭(October 08, 2023).
Dreycey Albin,泭Lukas Buecherl,泭Eitan Kochavi,泭Elise Niehaus,泭Sasha Novack,泭Shenali Uragoda, Chris J. Myers, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023. "". In:泭IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. (July 14, 2023).
Fiona Bell,泭Michelle Ramsahoye,泭Joshua Coffie,泭Julia Tung, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023. . In:泭Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS 23), (Pittsburgh, PA, July 1014, 2023).
Netta Ofer泭and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023.泭"". In:泭Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems泭(Hamburg, Germany, April 23-28, 2023).
Fiona Bell,泭Derrek Chow,泭Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez,泭Laura Devendorf, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023. "". In:泭Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction泭(TEI '23)泭(Warsaw, Poland, February 26 - March 1, 2023). 泭[Best Pictorial Award]
Fiona Bell,泭Derrek Chow,泭Hyelin Choi, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2023. "". In:泭Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction泭(TEI '23)泭(Warsaw, Poland, February 26 - March 1, 2023).泭
Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez,泭Netta Ofer,泭Shanel Wu,泭Mary Etta West,泭Mirela Alistar泭and泭Laura Devendorf.泭2022. Exploring Biofoam as a Material for Tangible Interaction. In泭Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS 22), Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1525-1529.泭泭(June 13-17, 2022Virtual Event, Australia).泭
Fiona Bell,泭Netta Ofer,泭Hyelin Choi,泭Ella McQuaid,泭Ethan Frier, and泭Mirela Alistar.泭2022. Biomaterial Playground: Engaging with Bio-based Materiality. In泭Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 14. DOI:泭泭(New Orleans, LAApril 29-May 5, 2022).
Fiona Bell,Netta Ofer, and Mirela Alistar. 2022. ReClaym our Compost: Biodegradable Clay for Intimate Making. In Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3517711 (New Orleans, LA, USAApril 29-May 5, 2022).泭[Best Paper Honorable Mention Award]
Fiona Bell,泭Ella McQuaid, and泭Mirela Alistar.泭2022. Alganyl: Cooking Sustainable Clothing. Dise簽a 20: Design and Somatic Sensibilities. Article 4. DOI:泭
Fiona Bell,泭Latifa Al-Naimi,泭Ella McQuaid, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2022. Designing with Alganyl. In泭Sixteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction泭(TEI '22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 2, 1-14. DOI:泭泭(Daejeon, Republic of Korea (virtual) Feb. 13-16, 2022).
Fiona Bell泭and泭Mirela Alistar. 2022. Designing with Alganyl: A Hands-on Exploration of Biodegradable Plastics. In泭Sixteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction泭(TEI '22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 56, 1-5. DOI:泭泭(Daejeon, Republic of Korea (virtual)Feb. 13-16, 2022).
Netta Ofer,泭Fiona Bell泭and泭Mirela Alistar. 2021. Designing Direct Interactions with Bioluminescent Algae. In泭Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2021泭(DIS 21), June 28-July 2, 2021, Virtual Event, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 23 pages.泭
Fiona Bell, Alice Hong, Andreea Danielescu, Aditi Maheshwari, Ben Greenspan, Hiroshi Ishii,泭Laura Devendorf, and泭Mirela Alistar. 2021. Self-deStaining Textiles: Designing Interactive Systems with Fabric, Stains and Light.泭In泭Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 21). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 112. (Yokohama, Japan (virtual)May 8-13, 2021). pdf.
Fiona Bell and Mirela Alistar. 2021. Alganyl.泭Patent No.泭US 63/184,992, Filed April 26th, 2021.
Fiona Bell. 2021. The Undyeing Swatch. In泭Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction泭(TEI '21). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 86, 13. DOI:(Salzburg, Austria (virtual) Feb. 14-19, 2021).泭
Mirela Alistar泭and Margherita Pevere. 2020. Semina Aeternitatis: Using Bacteria for Tangible Interaction with Data. In泭Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems泭(CHI EA 20). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 113. DOI:泭(Honolulu, Hawaii (virtual)April 25-30, 2020).
Timothy Merritt, Foad Hamidi,泭Mirela Alistar泭& Marta DeMenezes泭(2020)泭Living media interfaces: a multi-perspective analysis of biological materials for interaction,泭Digital Creativity,泭31:1,泭1-21,泭DOI:泭.
Mirela Alistar. Mobile Microfluidics. Bioengineering Journal. DOI: []泭
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