Workshop Growing, Forming and Living (with) Microalgae with Johann Bauerfeind
Scheduled for 04/12/2023 and 04/13/2023.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to culture microalgae by crafting an ideal environment for microbial cultures. They will also acquire basic microbiological and biotechnological skills essential for working with cyanobacteria Nostoc, also known as blue-green algae. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a solid understanding of microalgae cultivation and its potential applications in interactive art projects.
Johann Bauerfeind has a master’s degree in life science engineering from HTW Berlin – University of Applied Sciences. He is the founder of Solaga, a start-up in the centre of Berlin that cultivates algae for air purification.
Program
Day 1
- 9:00am - 9:30am: Introduction to the Workshop (Presentation)
- 9:30am - 10:30am: Overview of Algae and Microalgae (Interactive Presentation)
- 10:30am - 11:00am: Overview of selected art and design works interacting with algae
- 11:00am - 12:00pm: Cultivating Microalgae in Water (Presentation & Experiment)
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm: Cultivating Microalgae in the Air (Presentation & Experiment)
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm: Limitation in Working with Microalgae (Interactive Presentation)
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm: Break
- 4:00pm - 5:00pm: Hacking Microalgae - Working with Microalgae (continued)
Day 2
- 9:00am - 10:00am: Working with Microalgae (continued)
- 10:00am - 11:00am: Working with Microalgae (continued)
- 11:00am - 12:00pm: Microalgae from a commercial perspective - Perspectives (Presentation)
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm: Working with Microalgae (continued)
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm: Lunch
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm: Working with Microalgae (continued)
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm: Documentation
- 4:00pm - 5:00pm: Wrap-up and Q&A
Photos
Slides
Experiments
Experiment 1: Light impact
- Label the two vessels as "Light" and "Dark" using a marker or tape.
- Measure equal amounts of water (e.g., 100 ml) and pour it into each vessel.
- Add an equal volume of cyanobacteria culture (e.g., 5 ml) to each vessel, ensuring that the initial concentration is the same for both. Gently swirl the vessels to mix the water and cyanobacteria.
- Place the "Light" vessel under a bright lamp or in a sunny spot near a window, ensuring it receives consistent light exposure throughout the experiment.
- Place the "Dark" vessel in a dark area, such as a cupboard or a box, where it will not be exposed to any light.
- Observe the vessels for a period of 6-8 hours. Pay close attention to the "Light" vessel and look for tiny bubbles forming around the cyanobacteria. These bubbles are oxygen produced as a result of photosynthesis.
- Take notes on your observations, including the presence of bubbles in the "Light" vessel, and any differences in the appearance or behavior of the cyanobacteria between the two vessels.
- At the end of the observation period, compare your findings and discuss how light exposure influenced the cyanobacteria's ability to perform photosynthesis, as evidenced by the formation of oxygen bubbles.
Experiment 2: Building a simple bioreactor
- Clean glas containers
- Construct ports and making them air tight
- Add aluminum foil to protect ports after autoclaving
- Add tubing for bubbling
- Test the set-up regarding
- Bubbling
- Mixing
- Various
- Fill with destilled water
- Autoclave
Research Task
Choose 1 of the following algae
- Noctiluca scintillans
- Arthrospira platensis
- Chlorella Vulgaris
- Botryococcus braunit
- Haematococcus pluvialis
- Laminaria spec.
- Klebsormidium flaccidum
Briefly research the following questions
- Where do they live?
- What special ability do they have and how does it work?
- What specific conditions do they need to grow?
- Can they be found in todays products and if yes in which?
- Opt. Do you find a source for getting an active culture?
Resources
- Bioplastic / Alginate http://fabricademy.fabcloud.io/handbook/classes/06_biofabricating/
- Algae Strain Base https://ccala.butbn.cas.cz/
- Pasteur Strain Collection https://www.pasteur.fr/en/public-health/crbip/distribution/pcc?language=fr
- Culture Collection of Algae at the University of Cologne, Germany (CCAC) http://www.ccac.uni-koeln.de
- Culture Collection of Algae (SAG) at the University of Göttingen http://www.epsag.uni-goettingen.de
- The Friedrich Hustedt Diatom Collection http://www.awi.de