Biodesign, an emerging field integrating living organisms into design solutions, offers promising approaches to global challenges. However, the interactions of designer and scientists, especially in academic settings, remain understudied. This research explores the intersection of design practices and the sciences within a higher education institution, focusing on interactions in interdisciplinary projects. Through qualitative case study research methodology, six in-depth interviews with three scientists and three designers engaged in biodesign-related projects in a Higher Education Institution were conducted. Data analysis identified 18 projects from 9 major application areas (e.g. food systems, mobility, building architecture). Key findings reveal that design adopts multiple roles in biodesign projects, perceptions of nature’s role differ between designers and scientists, and while both groups recognize mutual benefits in collaboration, they face challenges related to differing work cultures and conceptual frameworks. These findings contribute to the literature on design-science collaborations and provide insights for institutions promoting interdisciplinary work, highlighting the need for structured approaches to biodesign education and research in academic settings.