Karen holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). While at UPenn, she taught and developed curriculum for introductory biology, microbiology, and biological design. Previously, she worked as a researcher at the University of Dayton, staff scientist for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and research consultant for the Philadelphia Water Department & American Water Works Association.

Orkan Telhan, Ph.D., is an interdisciplinary designer and Associate Professor of Fine Arts - Emerging Design Practices at University of Pennsylvania, School of Design. He holds a PhD in Design and Computation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a focus on Synthetic Biology and Biological Design. He was part of the Sociable Media Group at the MIT Media Laboratory and the Mobile Experience Lab at the MIT Design Laboratory.