Phytonet - the Internet of water

Maria Li

Summary
Final work

Maria Li is an innovator, biotinker, and educator with a strong focus on citizen science and impact innovations. Maria is passionate about translating inspirations from nature to innovations for regenerative futures. Driven by her fascination for the underwater world, she explores the potential of both phytoplankton and microalgae as regenerative electrical power for future digital and material landscapes.

Maria Li is an innovator, biotinker, and educator with a strong focus on citizen science an...

CollegeCentral Saint Martins
CourseMA Biodesign
Graduation year2023

Phytonet is a regenerative web servers network powered by electricity generated by phytoplankton and microalgae in our rivers and canals. The servers not only host web content but also incorporate environmental sensors to monitor water quality of our waterways. By integrating this regenerative energy source into the Internet's infrastructure, we can inspire a sustainable model for the Internet that is in sync with nature's rhythms.

Final work

Phytonet - the self-sustained Web Server & Sensing Organ of our waterways

Our current internet is growing at an incredible pace, every email we send and video we stream every day consumes energy. To question the status quo of the "faster and more" development model, I’ve teamed up with researchers from the University of Cambridge to create an algae-powered internet by combining the power of photosynthetic cycles and network technology to redefine how we connect and communicate in the digital landscape.

Introducing Phytonet — a regenerative web servers network powered by electricity generated by phytoplankton and microalgae in our rivers and canals. The algae-powered web server not only hosts web content but is also embedded with environmental sensors to monitor the water quality of our waterways. By integrating this regenerative energy source into the Internet's infrastructure, Phytonet aims to spark the imagination of an alternative model to run our Internet that is sustainable and in sync with nature's rhythms.

Collaborators:

Dr. Paolo Bombelli, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

Dr. Lorraine Archer, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge

Gian Marco Iodice, Tech lead in the Machine Learning Group at Arm

Canal & River Trust

Cover image by Daniel Lim Hai