If this air purifier looks like a science experiment, that’s because it is. A feat of biotechnology, AIReactor was exhibited during Milan Design Week as part of the larger PhotoSynthetica collection, which also includes a compostable 3D-printed stool (made of biomass harnessed by the AIReactor) and a lab-grown ring derived from London emissions.

Conceived by London-based experimental architecture and design firm ecoLogicStudio, the air purifier is comprised of a 1-metre-tall lab-grade glass photobioreactor encased in a birch plywood frame. Inside, 10 litres of living photosynthetic microalgae cultures, stimulated by a constantly stirring reactor, work to absorb carbon dioxide and pollutants and oxygenate the air; the resulting gentle bubbling sound, reminiscent of a water feature, is a welcome side effect. Though compact enough to suit both residential and commercial spaces, the air purifier boasts the equivalent carbon-capturing potential of a mature tree: 20 grams per day. At the end of its life, all of its elements can be disassembled and reused, recycled or composted. In other words, the AIReactor leaves spaces better than it found them.