A model of the ring using a combination of cow marrow-bone and etched silver.The inscription reads Ab Intra, "from within".
Biojewellery (http://www.biojewellery.com/) is a collaborative project involving Tobie Kerridge and Nikki Stott, design researchers at the Royal College of Art, and Ian Thompson, a bioengineer at Kings College London, its aim is to bring the medical and technical processes of bioengineering out of the lab and into the public arena. Funding totaling approximately £60,000 has been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Science Council as a part of their Partnership for Public Awareness initiative.
"Hospitals need to follow strict guidelines when working with human cells and patient consent is a key part of this. It is important to us and our couples that when we design the rings we are using their cells." http://www.biojewellery.com/
There are 2 sources for the cell, 1. Harvesting cells from a biopsy, 2. Collecting chip bone cells from wisdom teeth extraction. Of course, the consent by the volunteered participants is fairly important in this project. To find out more on the process of growing cells into bone, click here.
