Netflix BIOHACKERS Labs

A making-of of the Original Netflix Series

In 2019, we have inspired, consulted and equipped the labs in the Netflix Original Series Biohackers.

To make the sets and story as technologically accurate as possible, we brought together an international community of Biotech experts and lab builders from our network.

Location
Munich, DE
Client
Netflix
Year
2019

Our Involvement
In January 2019, the production team reached out to Jérôme Lutz, who is deeply involved since 2015 in Synthetic Biology Community through his Ted Talk, with SynBio.Info, his Munich meetups as well as the previous lab construction of the [x] Biokitchen in 2018.
Jérôme then involved David Ng, the technical mastermind behind many DIY Biohacking devices, such as the 5$ DNA Replicator and the Arduino based Corona Detector, and Edward Perello, founder of online CRISPR Service Desktop Genetics and globally connected Biotech expert.
After inspiring discussions and expeditions through the Munich Biotech ecosystem, the screenwriters developed the thrilling story. We helped make the story technically as accurate as possible and connected the professional lab industry to create the Lorenz Lab and involved the global Biohackers Community to create Jasper's Biohackspace in June 2019.
‍
Eventually, in 2020, Jérôme Lutz founded the Smart Lab Architects to turn those cinematic visions into real-world laboratories. The first step is to make labs digital, then automate them and once that's done, create AI Labs.

The Story of Biohackers

A medical student enters a top German university on a secret mission to uncover a conspiracy linking a family tragedy to a visionary biology professor. The thriller is an exciting story asking comprising the latest ethical and moral questions, includes homages to biohacks performed by real biohackers and labs that have run on the latest, real technology.

The goal of Christian Ditter was to create a fictional story 5-minutes-into-the-feature. Developed and shot in 2019, the Corona Virus set some of the dialogues and story elements 5 months into the past.

Starring: Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Adrian Julius Tillmann
Show Runner, Director and Story by Christian Ditter
Produced by Claussen+Putz in Munich

The Labs of Biohackers

Movie set for the scenes in
Prof. Lorenz' Private Lab
In the Netflix series Biohackers, Biotech professor Tanja Lorenz is operating a secret private lab in the basement of her mansion. We designed this lab with the goal to build the most futuristic, automated and sexy laboratory one could imagine.
View Lab
Movie set for the scenes in
Jasper's Biohackspace
Another protagonist of the Netflix series Biohackers, Jasper, has also built a private lab with only modest resources. We reached out to our friends from the biohacking community and got them involved in creating this "Biohackspace", a place filled with simple, cheap and nonetheless effective DIY lab equipment.
View Lab
Movie set for the scenes in
Prof. Lorenz' University Lab
Prof. Lorenz has her own Lorence Excellence Center, where she runs her official studies.

In reality, the labs are located in LMU Biocampus Martinsried in the south of Munich and are used by students and professors for their regular research.

The Sets, explained

The Making-Of

Watch the metapiece made by Netflix, giving you a glimpse into the world of Biohacking, Synthetic Biology and their potentials.
Featuring the directors and cast of the series as well as comments by scientists from the field.

Our Inspiration to the Creators

What should be in the Lab of the Netlfix Biohacker's Series? Here is the inspiration video Jérôme shot mid of 2019 in the [x] Biokitchen for the Netflix crew.

The Crew

Our crew inspired and helped the production team to get the sets as close to reality as possible. We helped with each of our expertise throughout the entire process, from the idea and the selection of partners until the way how you use the products at the set.

Jérôme Lutz

David Ng

Edward Perello

Involved Partners

We involved the best companies we knew to add their amazing technologies to the labs. All-in-all, we put together a lab worth more than 1.000.000 €. In the name of everyone involved, thank you for making this happen!