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Holobiontic Earth

Holobiontic Earth

Metabolic Cybernetics & Planetary Symbiosis

The Earth as a Living System

Holobiontic Earth is a research initiative dedicated to planetary-scale symbiosis. We study the biosphere as a continuous, living system — a global holobiont where microbes, climates, and technologies co-evolve.

Our work integrates metabolic cybernetics with synthetic ecology to decode the feedback loops that sustain life across deep time. By engineering new symbiotic interfaces, we cultivate resilient futures for the more-than-human world.

Welcome to the assemblage.

Holobiontic Earth image

Dynamic systems, grounded experiments

Placeholder for a concise, compelling institute statement.

GlobalActive Research Network

Manifesto

Manifesto

We are the symbiosis. We are not a single organism but a living mesh of microbes, plants, animals, and technologies co-creating the conditions of life.

Our manifesto commits to:

  • Relational intelligence: knowledge as a shared, multi-species practice.
  • Careful entanglement: interventions that strengthen mutual dependence.
  • Planetary stewardship: long-horizon responsibility for ecological futures.
  • Reciprocal design: methods that return more to ecosystems than they extract.
Manifesto image

Concept

Concept

Holobionts are assemblages: host organisms plus the microbiomes and environments that sustain them. We study these assemblages as living infrastructures.

  • Microbial ecologies: symbiotic networks as foundational intelligence and memory.
  • Distributed agency: organisms, climates, and technologies co-determining outcomes.
  • Biotech interfaces: sensing and stewardship tools for ecological care.
Concept image

Research Threads

Symbiotic Computation

Symbiotic Computation

Co-processing energy, information, and care across species.

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We investigate how microbes, plants, and infrastructures co-compute environmental signals. The goal is to model symbiotic intelligence as a distributed, metabolic computation.

Active
Duration: 2024–2027
Team: Systems Ecology Lab, Holobiontic Earth
Ecological Sensing

Ecological Sensing

Low-impact instruments for long-horizon observation.

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We design sensing arrays that read microbial, soil, and atmospheric dynamics without disturbing local ecologies, prioritizing slow data and contextual stewardship.

Active
Duration: 2023–2026
Funding: Symbiocene Initiative
Team: Field Nodes, Urban Ecology Studio
Planetary Interfaces

Planetary Interfaces

Visualizing Earth-system feedback in real time.

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We build live interfaces that surface biospheric feedback loops, creating public dashboards that reveal planetary metabolism and its thresholds.

Exploratory
Duration: 2025
Team: Interface Lab, Civic Partners
Regenerative Materials

Regenerative Materials

Living composites for adaptive infrastructure.

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From mycelial scaffolds to bio-reactive textiles, we prototype materials that respond to environmental signals and repair themselves over time.

Active
Duration: 2022–2025
Team: Biofabrication Lab
Interspecies Signal Translation

Interspecies Signal Translation

Decoding chemical languages between organisms.

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We map plant, fungal, and insect chemical signaling using ML to identify patterns that reveal cooperative behaviors and ecological stress.

Active
Duration: 2024–2026
Team: Neuroecology Group
Governance for Symbiosis

Governance for Symbiosis

Protocols and rituals for shared planetary stewardship.

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We co-design policy frameworks that translate ecological signals into civic protocols, enabling anticipatory governance for multi-species futures.

Exploratory
Duration: 2025–2027
Team: Policy Studio, Legal Research Unit

Ecosystems in Focus

Ecosystems in Focus

We work across diverse habitats to understand symbiotic coordination and resilience.

  • Riparian systems: microbial, plant, and animal co-evolution along river networks.
  • Urban ecologies: multi-species collaboration in shared human spaces.
  • Soil intelligence: subterranean networks, fungi, and nutrient exchange.
  • Coastal margins: adaptive interfaces between land, sea, and atmospheric flows.
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Collaborations

Collaborations

We collaborate with ecologists, artists, and civic partners to translate research into shared stewardship.

  • Field residencies: embedded research with local ecosystems and custodians.
  • Living archives: public documentation, open data, and long-horizon storytelling.
  • Education labs: participatory workshops and curriculum design.
  • Policy interfaces: briefs and co-designed interventions for stewardship.
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The Assembly

Holobiontic Earth Assembly

Systems Ecology & Symbiosis

Coordinating the cross-species research agenda and field node deployments.

Field Nodes

Riparian + Soil Intelligence

Embedded sensing teams working across river systems, soils, and coastal margins.

Interface Lab

Planetary Dashboards

Designing interfaces that translate ecological data into public understanding.

Civic Stewardship Studio

Policy & Ritual Design

Co-developing governance protocols for long-horizon planetary care.

Publications

2025
Planetary Symbiosis: A Systems Framework
Schimpl, P.; Holobiontic Earth Assembly — Journal of Systems Ecology
2024
Symbiotic Computation in Soil Networks
Field Nodes Consortium — Ecological Informatics
2024
Designing Interfaces for Planetary Feedback
Interface Lab — ACM Designing Interactive Systems
2023
Governance Protocols for Symbiocene Futures
Civic Stewardship Studio — Futures
2023
Mycelial Materials for Regenerative Infrastructure
Biofabrication Lab — Materials Today Bio