Biodesign Challenge FAQ

How did you develop the idea for this project?

In Dr. Aroussiak Gabrielian's Biodesign course at the University of Southern California, students were challenged to think beyond traditional human-centric views of the biophysical world and our role in it by sustained research on a single marine organism throughout the semester. We chose the sponge and were fascinated by scientific literature regarding their resilience, biomonitoring capabilities, and ability to neutralize certain contaminants. We asked ourselves (A) how we could magnify the unique abilities of the sponge and (B) what it would mean to live in true symbiosis with this organism in a speculative design scenario.

What was it like working with this team on this project?

Our team brought together backgrounds in design and science along with a sense of playfulness and creativity that led to the creation of a scenario that was both highly imaginative, but also highly plausible under a given set of circumstances. We combined emerging scientific research, current events, and speculative design to envision a futures scenario that could be experienced through website and podcast form.

Why is this project / this challenge important now?

Water scarcity has long shaped Southern California, and globally this issue is likely to intensify with climate change. Additionally, communities from California's Central Valley to Bangladesh currently suffer from water sources chronically contaminated by arsenic. This huge public health crisis has remained unaddressed for decades. Our project imagines a tipping point when our current trajectory of environmental degradation and socioeconomic inequality reach a turning point, leading to a bottom-up, nature-based solution to this silent arsenic crisis.

Is this project based on real research?

Yes! One of our initial inspirations was a 2017 research paper by Ray Keren et al. that identified an endosymbiont of the marine sponge Theonella swinhoei which is capable of neutralizing arsenic and barium. We imagined what would happen if a similar discovery were made near Los Angeles, where our story is centered. For more details, please see our annotated bibliography below.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Ahmad, S. A., Khan, M. H., & Haque, M. (2018). Arsenic contamination in groundwater in Bangladesh: implications and challenges for healthcare policy. Risk management and healthcare policy, 11, 251–261. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S153188 The authors describe how arsenic contamination of groundwater has been a consistent problem in Bangladesh since 1993, leading to cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and more. Many people continue consuming arsenic-contaminated water because of a lack of other options. The authors conclude, "In providing sustainable arsenic-safe water options, any option advocated should be cheap, easy to use, locally maintainable, and owned by the community."
2. Arsenic in Private Well Water FAQs. Massachusetts.gov. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/arsenic-in-private-well-water-faqs This government website estimates the cost of point-of-use arsenic treatment systems to be $1,200 with annual maintenance costs of $343, while whole-house treatment systems cost about $3,000 with annual maintenance costs of $550. The need for a more affordable treatment option is clear.
3. Drinking Water Program Fact Sheet: Recommendations for Arsenic Removal from Private Drinking Water Wells in Oregon. Oregon Health Authority. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/HealthyEnvironments/DrinkingWater/ SourceWater/Documents/gw/arsenicremoval.pdf This fact sheet provides a clear overview of existing arsenic treatment technologies as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
4. Evans, K. & Kitting, C.L. (2010) Documentation and Identification of the One Known Freshwater Sponge Discovered in the California Delta. The Open Marine Biology Journal, 4(1):82-86. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874450801004010082 This paper documents the occurrence of a freshwater sponge species in the California Delta, and notes that there have been few studies of sponges—especially freshwater sponges—in Western North America despite the presence of numerous habitats where sponges such as Ephydatia fluviatilis Linnaeus and Spongilla lacustris might be expected to occur. It recommends further extensive studies to better understand the distribution of freshwater sponges in California.
5. Girard, E.B., Fuchs, A., Kaliwoda, M., Lasut, M., Ploetz, E., Schmahl, W.W., & Wörheide, G. (2021) Sponges as bioindicators for microparticulate pollutants? Environmental Pollution, 268(A). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115851 The authors suggest marine sponges could be useful biomonitors for microparticulate pollutants. Pollutants are incorporated into sponge tissue.
6. Keren, R., Lavy, A., Mayzel, B., & Ilan, M. (2015). Culturable associated-bacteria of the sponge Theonella swinhoei show tolerance to high arsenic concentrations. Frontiers in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00154 The authors identify that arsenic is accumulated in the endosymbiotic bacteria of Theonella swinhoei rather than in the sponge itself. The authors speculate on the use of this arsenic-mineralizing bacteria for an affordable solution for freshwater bioremediation of arsenic.
7. Keren, R., Mayzel, B., Lavy, A. Polishchuk, I., Levy, D., Fakra, S.C., Pokroy, B., & Ilan, M. (2017). Sponge-associated bacteria mineralize arsenic and barium on intracellular vesicles. Nat Commun 8, 14393. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14393 The authors conclude the endosymbiotic bacteria Entotheonella sp. may act to mineralize and therefore detoxify arsenic and barium for the host sponge Theonella swinhoei. Arsenic is extremely toxic to most life, yet the sponges survive while accumulating a total arsenic concentration that is among the highest measured in any known organism.
8. Loewenberg, S. (2017). The Poisoning of Bangladesh: How Arsenic Is Ravaging a Nation. Undark. https://undark.org/2017/08/16/bangladesh-arsenic-poisoning-drinking-water/ This news report gives a human angle on the public health crisis of arsenic poisoning in villages across Bangladesh. Many have no choice but to continue using contaminated water for lack of funding to dig deeper, safer wells. The article also looks at the history that led to the current crisis: a campaign by UNICEF and other international organizations to combat cholera and diarrheal diseases resulting from use of dirty surface water promoted cheap, easy-to-maintain shallow hand-pumped wells. Unfortunately, by the time the natural prevalence of arsenic in these shallow aquifers was discovered, an estimated 57 million people were already exposed. The authors argue that there is a lack of funding and political will to combat this new, enormous problem. Clean-up projects have been donated to a handful of villages (requiring $50,000 of initial funding), but villages subsequently struggle to pay maintenance costs.
9. Manconi, R. & Pronzato, R. (1991). Life cycle of Spongilla lacustris (Porifera, Spongillidae): a cue for environment-dependent phenotype. Hydrobiologia 220, 155–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00006548 The authors describe the life cycle and growth habits of Spongilla lacustris in response to varying environmental factors.
10. Rani, S. & Padmaja, V. (2018) Sponges As Heavy Metal Accumulators And As Cytotoxic Agents. IOSR Journal Of Pharmacy, 8(9) Version. I, 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1897/07-292.1 The authors examine the use of four widespread Mediterranean sponge species in heavy metal biomonitoring at both temporal and spatial scales.
11. Sikder, T., Hossain, Z., Pingki, P.B., Biswas, J.D., Rahman, M., Hossain, S., Saito, T., & Kurasaki, M. Development of Low-cost indigenous filtration system for urban sullage: assessment of reusability. Fut Cit & Env 2, 5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40984-016-0018-y This study based in Dhaka, Bangladesh assesses the efficacy of a water filter inspired by the Indigenous practice of crafting Pond Sand Filters made up of coconut fibers to filter rainwater. The proposed filter was made up of sand, gravel, and coal and successfully filtered out heavy metals found in urban sullage water.
12. Smith, R., Knight, R. & Fendorf, S. (2018). Overpumping leads to California groundwater arsenic threat. Nat Commun 9, 2089. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04475-3 The authors describe an increase in aquifer arsenic concentrations in California's San Joaquin Valley due to increasing levels of groundwater pumping and subsidence.
13. Spongilla lacustris. Wikiwand. https://www.wikiwand.com/fr/Spongilla_lacustris This (French language) source contains an excellent compilation of scientific research specific to Spongilla lacustris. Key facts of interest include rate of flow (70X volume of sponge per hour), variable association of symbiotic microbes, regeneration and reproduction, and more.