“Mealworms ate my table,” says Will Eliot, somewhat obliquely. But it’s true, though a bit involved. Mealworms host a unique bacteria that is able to digest polystyrene. Accordingly, Will injected sugar trails through a polystyrene block to map out the table’s shape. Attracted by the sugar, the mealworms created extra tunnels, but adding an unplanned element to the design. The tunnels were then cast, scanned, and then manipulated on the computer into their distinctive “sliced” shape. Finally they were 3D printed. “Why limit collaboration to humans alone?” Will observes. “We are woven into a complex ecosystem that over time we’ve dominated and exploited. But we could join forces with nature, an intelligence forged over millions of years of evolution. A new concept of interspecies design could yield fresh concepts and unlock capacities humans alone cannot achieve.” Recently, Will set up the Biocrafting Studio and has secured Arts Council funding. “I want to foster collaborative experiments with nature – and to encourage making and craft, a hands-on approach."