GMU:DIY Biolab “Driver’s License”

Instructions for media

Lecturer: Mindaugas Gapševičius
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Wednesday 17:00-20:30
Venue: Marienstraße 7b, Biolab (Room 202)
First meeting: Wednesday, 11 October 2017; 17:00-20:30

This course is an introduction to the DIY Biolab, and alongside it, its uses in relation to artistic practices. We will learn how to take care of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and protists like Euglena and slime molds. We will also devote some time to molecular biology while learning to understand, extract, and analyze DNA. The “Driver’s License” also includes practical use of equipment around the Biolab, such as the microliter pipet, clean bench, centrifuge, PCR machine and electrophoresis chamber.

Along with very practical things, we will think of challenges facing humans and non-humans in our rapidly changing world. While discussing artworks related to biology, we will develop individual ideas, which will finally become our projects. Final projects will be presented in Berlin.

Syllabus

• October 11 /Safety in the lab; bacteria/yeasts/scoby
• October 18 /euglena, amoeba
• October 25 /slime molds, mycelium; class with Azucena Sanchez
• November 1 /DNA extraction
• November 8 /Designing primers, PCR and Electrophoresis; class with Dr. Julian Chollet
• November 15 /presentation of individual ideas
• November 22 /No class
• November 29 /Idea #1, #2; organisms xx
• December 6 /No class
• December 13 /Idea #3, #4; organisms xx
• December 20 /Idea #5, #6; organisms xx
• January 10 /Work on projects
• January 17 /Work on projects
• January 24 /Work on projects
• January 31 /Work on projects

Related previous courses

• BioArt WS15
• Intro to BioArt WS16
• Board Games for Humans and Nonhumans SS17

Grading

• 20 % Theory
• 50 % Practical implementation of the project
• 30 % Documentation including 20% of updates in Wiki

Eligible Participants

Undergraduates and graduates enrolled in the faculties of Art and Design.