Social Science Information 1–12 © The Author(s) 2016 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0539018416648234 ssi.sagepub.com Repurposing emergence theories: An interview with Andrew Pelling Christine Beaudoin School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada David Jaclin School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada Abstract Andrew Pelling is a Canadian experimental scientist who uses low-cost, open source materials to create the medical technology of the future. He runs an interdisciplinary, curiosity-driven lab at the University of Ottawa (pellinglab.net), where he researches non-genetic ways to create artificial tissues and organs. Much of his experimental work has led to new insights in cancer pathology, muscle degeneration and stem-cell development. He has a cross-appointment in the departments of Physics and Biology and the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University, has held a Canada Research Chair since 2008 and was elected a member of the Global Young Academy in 2013. He is an honorary research fellow at SymbioticA, Center of excellence for biological arts. Dr Pelling has also recently started a company to sell and distribute low-cost kits for key scientific equipment that lets anyone create biomaterials for regenerative medicine. His latest achievements and hard work have earned him a place in the TED2016 Fellows Class. We were interested to interview Andrew Pelling, whose experience within and beyond the life sciences could help us better navigate the complex and emerging realms of laboratory life. Keywords antidisciplinary, biohacking, emergence, life, repurposing, theory Corresponding author: Christine Beaudoin, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada. Email: cbeau143@uottawa.ca 648234SSI 0 0 10.1177/0539018416648234Social Science InformationBeaudoin and Jaclin research-article 2016 Special Issue at University of Western Australia on June 16, 2016 ssi.sagepub.com Downloaded from