She worked with artist and odor expert Sissel Tolaas during her Synthetic Aesthetics residency, collecting bacteria samples from the belly buttons, feet, mouths, and tears of creatives to engineer 11 "human cheeses.

One of these scents is an effort to resurrect the smell of a long-extinct flower by analyzing preserved botanical samples to identify the DNA encoding smell-producing enzymes.

In her role as Creative Director, Agapakis focuses on creating experiences and communicating stories about the bioengineering work the company undertakes with the ultimate goal of making biotechnology more approachable.

[14] For instance, Ginkgo hosted designer Natsai Audrey Chieza as artist in residence to experiment with dying textiles with bacteria as an environmentally sound and resource-conservative approach alternative to commercial dyes.

She began blogging in graduate school and in 2011 started a column for Scientific American called the "Oscillator," sharing her thoughts on the latest developments in the field of synthetic biology for a popular audience.