Symbiotic colonies of yeast and bacteria, cellulose, soy protein, nanobodies. These aren’t the kinds of materials one expects to find in a design class, but the UC Davis Department of Design isn’t like most others.

Art and science rarely work alone. On Nov. 16, the UC Davis Department of Design demonstrated the integration of art and science at its quarterly presentation of LASER: Conversations in Art and Science.

Old blue and gold banners around the UC Davis campus are getting new life thanks to Christina Johnson (B.A., design, ‘14) of Upcycle It Now. The company owned by Johnson and her mother Liz Bordessa recently started transforming the banners into bags and wallets.

“UC Davis reached out several years ago and kept reaching out to make it work,” said Johnson, who lives and works in Long Beach. “We’ve had lots of people getting excited about it and some sales are starting.”