People with obscure, degenerative nerve disorders with no known cures. A biologist exploring the use of fruit flies as an alternative to mice to test drug compounds. A designer who makes his own laser cutter. All of them have collaborated for a unique exhibition that could one day change the way new drugs are developed.

In a project infusing design perspectives into biosciences, Kyoto Institute of Technology's Kyoto Design Lab invited Frank Kolkman, a Dutch designer from the Royal College of Art in London, for three months last fall to develop a prototype for a kit to test possible drugs to treat Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT).

CMT refers to a group of nerve disorders that cause mobility and sensation disabilities over a long period of time. A rare hereditary condition, it affects 2.8 million people worldwide, according to U.S.-based patient support group CMTA. In Japan, researchers estimate at least 2,000 people have the disease.