Emma Sicher

Emma Sicher is a designer passionate about biomaterials and foods created with microorganisms. She graduated in Eco-Social Design from the Faculty of Design and Art at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and worked as a research assistant at Design F(r)iction Lab. Her pioneering transdisciplinary approach weaves together design, microbiology, and anthropology to explore relational practices for resilience.
Her experimental doctoral research is situated in the fields of Material and Bio-Design, focusing on SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeasts), a highly versatile source of cellulose obtained through fermentation with edible, non-edible, and health-promoting application potentials. Her research examines practices of growing SCOBY to generate relational and biodiverse materials. This investigation employs mixed methodologies, from systematic scientific work in microbiology laboratories to multi-sited focused ethnography in Germany, Crete, and Thailand.
Her thesis, supervised by molecular microbiologist Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge (MoA, HU Berlin) and architect Prof. Dr. Markus Holzbach (HfG Offenbach), resonates with »new materialism« and multispecies studies. It highlights microbial biomaterials as interactive elements entangled in ecological and socio-cultural fluxes, emphasizing their potential to promote biodiversity by weaving contemporary biotechnologies and distributed cultural-technical knowledge.
Cluster of Excellence
»Matters of Activity«
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sophienstr. 22a
10178 Berlin
Articles in Edited Volumes
Cohen, N., Sicher, E., Uğur Yavuz, S. 2022. »From Agricultural Waste to Microbial Growth and (G)Local Resilience.« Senses 2019. In Developments in Design Research and Practice, edited by Duarte E., Rosa C. Springer Series in Design and Innovation, vol 17. Basel: Springer International Publishing, 81-92.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86596-2_7
Cohen, N., Sicher, E., Merino, I., Yavuz, S. U. 2021. »An Open-Source Bioreactor Enhancing Microbial Cellulose Production and Novel Sustainable substances.« KES-SDM 2021. In Sustainable Design and Manufacturing, edited by Scholz, S.G., Howlett, R.J., Setchi, R. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 262. Springer Singapore, 77-86.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6128-0_8
Articles
Cohen, N., Sicher, E., Ayala-Garcia, C., Merino Sanchez-Fayos, I., Conterno, L., Ugur Yavuz, S. 2023. »Innocell Bioreactor: An Open-Source Development to Produce Biomaterials for Food and Packaging Based on Fermentation Processes.« In Modeling Methods for Fermentation Processes, special issue. Fermentation 2023.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9100915
Cohen, N., Sicher, E., Uğur Yavuz, S. 2020. »Designing with microbial cellulose to feed new biological cycles.« International Journal of Food Design, 4 (2): 155-171.
https://doi.org/10.1386/ijfd_00003_1
Conference Proceedings
Sicher, E., Uğur Yavuz, S., Cohen, N., 2023. »Designing matter across scales with microorganisms The MMMM (Micro-Mezzo-Macro-Meta) approach.« Presented at the EKSIG 2023 Conference, Politecnico di Milano, 19 June 2023. Politecnico di Milano, 311-342.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374481672_Designing_matter_across_scales_with_microorganisms_The_MMMM_Micro-Mezzo-Macro-Meta_approach
Talks & Presentations
Sicher, E. Designing Futures: Where Biotechnology Meets Creativity. Talk at the Faculty of Architecture Kasetsart University, Bangkok. 16 May 2024.
https://www.ku.ac.th/en/faculty-of-architecture/
Sicher, E. Siriphon, W. Designing Futures: Where Biotechnology Meets Creativity. Talk at the Department of Textile and Fashion Design, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Thammasat University, Bangkok. 1 June 2024.
https://db.fineart.tu.ac.th/index.php/en/
Sicher, E. WORKING WITH SCOBY: A material-driven approach for local resilience. Talk at the Lecture Series (Biodesign Series), FabLab Ioannina, Ioannina Greece. Virtual. 12 April 2024.
Sicher, E., Hengge, R. Interspecies Cooperation / Fermentation from the Microbial and the Human Perspective. Talk at the Brown Bag Brunch, Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 4 April 2023.
Sicher, E., Hengge R. MULTISPECIES MATTER: Elaborating on human-plant-microbe cooperation through transdisciplinary investigation of bacterial cellulose. Panel Presentation at the BIOCALIBRATED: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR BIODESIGN PRACTICES, MICROBIAL FABRICATIONS. Central Saint Martins UAL, London. 30 November 2023.
Sicher, E. Designing matter across scales with microorganisms: The MMMM (Micro-Mezzo-Macro-Meta) approach. Paper presentation at the EKSIG 2023: From Abstractness to Concreteness - experiential knowledge and the role of prototypes in design research, Sustainable and Biological solutions. Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano. Hybrid. 19 June 2023.
https://www.eksig2023.polimi.it
Sicher, E. Fermentation as a Relational Medium for Eco-Social Resilience. Talk at the Le Giornate della Fermentazione, Cima Norma, Dangio. 23 September 2023.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVu428_duBAxWLXvEDHRMXDTgQFnoECBcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffuturefermentation.ch%2F&usg=AOvVaw2gP2-Yv47LoF0LTq6ShbNq&opi=89978449
Sicher, E. Progettare con i microorganismi per un futuro resiliente. Talk at the TEDx Bolzano, Delta. Fiera Bolzano. 20 May 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCmxJ8Uua1c
Invited Moderation/ Comment
Sicher, E., Weber, R., Kesselring, R., Asa, P. MATTERSCAPES. A Studio Visit. Doctoral Presentations, repair, restore, regenerate, Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Moderation by Perraudin, Léa. 27 June 2023.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/11320/matterscapes-a-studio-visit
Events & Workshops
Sicher, E., Le Calvé, M. Sensing Ecologies of Care with Tempeh. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. During book launch »Driving the Human: Seven Prototypes for Eco-social Renewal«. 10 May 2023 - 10 October 2023.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/10912/driving-the-human-seven-prototypes-for-eco-social-renewal
Sicher, E. Fermentation as eco-social medium [theoretical and practical workshop]. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 10 July 2023.
Teaching & Courses
Sicher, E. WORKING WITH SCOBY: A material-driven approach for local resilience [Online lecture]. Lecture, Service Design for Circular Economy by Prof. Juliana Loggia. UdeSA: Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires. 18 March 2024.
Sicher, E. (Guest lecturer) WORKING WITH SCOBY: A material-driven approach for local resilience [Online lecture]. Lecture, Design Department, Politecnico of Milano. 28 November 2023.