Inocula is an open-source, locally producible field applicator for introducing fungus into invasive trees, enabling more accessible tree management through repairable design, 3D printing, and small-series production.
Define the problem/need you are solving or addressing with your project. How does it address the Open Call criteria, such as environmental impact, social engagement, circularity, user experience, resource efficiency, and community-driven solutions?
Invasive tree management is labor-intensive and still often relies on herbicides. Inocula offers a more targeted alternative by enabling the application of a species-specific fungal treatment through a dedicated field tool. It is designed for safer and more consistent use in real working conditions. The applicator is repairable, suited to local small-series production, and made so individual parts can be replaced instead of discarding the whole device. This supports resource efficiency and lowers barriers for smaller municipalities, land managers, and other trained users.
Please describe your project, reflecting on the concept, inspiration, materials, technical aspects, methods and process(es).
Inocula is a handheld applicator developed as part of my bachelor thesis in collaboration with Biohelp. The project grew from the gap between a promising biological treatment for invasive trees and the lack of a well-suited tool for applying it in the field. It combines incision, dosing, handling, and transport in one device designed around the real sequence of use. The applicator uses a sliding hammer for insertion and removal, an adjustable dosing system, a visible blade area for feedback during application, and an integrated safety cover and carrying system. It is designed for local small-series production and uses predominantly FDM-printed polypropylene parts. Repairability and clear material identification through labeling were important so the parts can be sorted into a defined recycling stream and more easily re-enter circular material flows. The project developed through iterative prototyping, testing, and refinement of construction, handling, and field workflow.
What do you think makes your project innovative compared to the existing efforts and ideas in the field it addresses?
What makes the project different is the way it responds to a very specific use case. In a niche field like this, conventional manufacturing would often be too expensive to justify a specialized tool. This project uses 3D printing for small-series production to make such a tool possible at all. It is designed to be produced locally, repaired, adapted, and improved over time. That matters because availability and maintenance are often just as important as the treatment itself. Compared to existing efforts, the project is not only about applying a specific fungus, but about making the tool behind that treatment realistic to build and use in practice.
Does it impact or reflect young people need(s) and how?
We as young people are growing up in a world shaped by climate change, ecological instability, all of which make issues like invasive species more urgent and more visible. This creates a growing need for tools and systems that help people respond to changing environmental conditions. Inocula reflects that need by supporting a more precise and locally adaptable approach to ecological maintenance. It also speaks to young designers. Many niche environmental fields lack well-designed tools, even when better methods already exist. The project aims to show, how design can contribute beyond mainstream consumer products by improving access, usability, and production in areas where small interventions can have real impact. In that sense, it reflects both the environmental challenges young people face and the opportunity to use design skills in a different and meaningful ways.
