Exploring complete ectogenesis and in vitro gametogenesis through speculative design

Darby, Andrew and Bolton, Zoe and Dunn, Kirsty and Fovargue, Sara and Krendel, Alexandra and O'Donovan, Laura and Semino, Elena and Tsekleves, Emmanuel and Walton, Georgia and Wilkinson, Stephen and Williams, Nicola and Ruston, Sharon (2025) Exploring complete ectogenesis and in vitro gametogenesis through speculative design. UNSPECIFIED.

Abstract

Exploring complete ectogenesis and in vitro gametogenesis through speculative design–presented at the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics (SMER) 40th anniversary symposium Bioethics at the Crossroads: Navigating Ethics in an Era of Scientific Revolution and Global Crisis–invites attendees to think about the future and the implications of advances in reproductive technology by engaging with speculative design artefacts. Created by design researcher Dr Andrew Darby working with the Wellcome-funded Future of Human Reproduction team, the exhibition features a selection of speculative artefacts that reflect ideas, imaginings, and questions about emerging reproductive technologies. Used as a futures thinking tool, the artefacts make abstract ideas about the future tangible, offering a way to think critically while engaging with objects in the present. Spread across two spaces, the exhibition asks attendees: what worlds might scientific innovation in Assisted Reproductive Technologies bring into being? In the Eken room, explore possible futures of complete ectogenesis, the complete or partial gestation of a foetus outside of the human body. In the Valnoten room, encounter visions shaped by in vitro gametogenesis, an emerging technology that uses stem cells to create sperm and egg cells in the lab which can then be used to produce embryos. Event participants are invited to explore the speculations, share their reflections, and join in conversations about how design can open up new ways of thinking about bioethics. With acknowledgment and thanks to collaborators: Dr Zoe Bolton, Zindzi Cresswell, Mr Samuel Dean, Dr Claire Dean, Dr Kirsty Dunn (Co-I), Professor Sara Fovargue (Co-I), Dr Kobi Hartley, Dr Alexandra Krendel, Dr Nuri Kwon , Dr Laura O'Donovan, Professor Sharon Ruston (Co-I), Distinguished Professor Elena Semino (Co-I), Professor Emmanuel Tsekleves (Co-I), Dr Georgia Walton, Dr Nicola Williams (Co-I), and Distinguished Professor Stephen Wilkinson (PI).