Your body already runs a microbial service desk

Research cited

1. Sender, Fuchs, Milo. Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLoS Biol 2016 ↗pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Jost, Herzig, Birringer. 20 years of nutrition and health claims regulation in Europe. Foods 2025 ↗pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. European Commission, Guidance on the implementation of Regulation No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods: conclusions of the Standing Committee on the (excerpt) ↗food.ec.europa.eu

Other sources

1. Emma van der Leest on Instagram (@emma_van_der_leest) ↗instagram.com
2. Let's microbe, website ↗letsmicrobe.org
3. Winclove Probiotics, website ↗wincloveprobiotics.com
4. Dutch Design Week programme: The Biodesign Warehouse, Department Store for Life ↗ddw.nl
5. Frame, Ninety Minutes of Frame: Hilde Koenders ↗frameweb.com
6. Emma van der Leest, website ↗emmavanderleest.com
7. VPRO Nooit Meer Slapen, Emma van der Leest ↗vpro.nl
8. Emma van der Leest, Aneta Schaap-Oziemlak, Paul Verweij & Sybren De Hoog, Bio Art & Design Award ↗badaward.nl
9. The biodesign warehouse department store for life 1 (ddw.nl) ↗ddw.nl
10. Design pionieers emma van der leest and anab jain are the beacons van ddw (ddw.nl) ↗ddw.nl
11. Vpro op ddw 2026 (vpro.nl) ↗vpro.nl
12. Vpro kick off op dutch design week (vpro.nl) ↗vpro.nl
13. Biodesigner emma van der leest on a mission to change the bad image of bacteria yeasts and fungi for good (ioplus.nl) ↗ioplus.nl
14. Emma van der leest growing the next generation of biodesigners (livingstations.wdka.nl) ↗livingstations.wdka.nl
15. Bio designer emma van der leest is growing a sustainable future (the-low-countries.com) ↗the-low-countries.com
16. Microbial service desk (ddw.nl) ↗ddw.nl
17. Lets microbe at dutch design week 2026 (letsmicrobe.org) ↗letsmicrobe.org
18. letsmicrobe.org/about ↗letsmicrobe.org
19. letsmicrobe.org/faq ↗letsmicrobe.org
20. Maak tijdens ddw kennis met je microbial self (fonkmagazine.nl) ↗fonkmagazine.nl

Images, slide by slide

Slide 1

A glass lab fermenter of orange liquid stands on a white table beside a clear dome over orange samplesPhoto: RN Collins

Slide 2

A dark exhibition hall with scaffold displays under a lit BEAUTY sign, visitors gathered and glowing text projected on the floorPhoto: RN Collins

Slide 3

A round white table seen from above: a glass fermenter of amber liquid, Fungkee spray bottles and small dishes under clear domes, below a Microbial Service Desk signPhoto: RN Collins

Slide 4

Visitors crowd around the mint ring-shaped Microbial Service Desk under scaffolding in the Biodesign WarehousePhoto: RN Collins

Slide 5

Code-drawn diagram of the digestive tract from the front, the patient's right on the viewer's left: stomach, coiled small intestine and the colon, with orange dots packed into the colon and only a few in the stomach and small intestine, labeled colon, the vast majority of gut bacteriaImage: RN Collins studio, code-drawn. Checked against Sender, Fuchs and Milo 2016, PLoS Biol, Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the BodyMuseum or journal record ↗

Slide 6

The Biodesign Warehouse entrance with a scaffolding arch, The Biodesign Warehouse lettering and a banner reading Designing with life not against it, with visitors belowPhoto: RN Collins

Slide 7

Emma van der Leest gestures toward the mint desk as she talks to visitorsPhoto: RN Collins

Ring frame

Leeuwenhoek-type simple microscope, copy made in Leiden (1901-1930)Frame: Wellcome Collection, CC BY 4.0, croppedMuseum or journal record ↗

Quotes and video (1)

RN's phone photos and video behind this postRN's own footage, 17 Oct 2026, The Biodesign Warehouse, Klokgebouw, Strijp-S, Eindhoven

Quotes and video (2)

The curator's words and the desk in this post, from RN's video in the Biodesign WarehouseRN's own footage, 18 Oct 2026, The Biodesign Warehouse, Klokgebouw, Strijp-S, Eindhoven