GMU:DIY Biolab “Driver’s License”/Zhenhuan Weng

Interactive Boxes for Euglena

"Abstract": Euglena is a genus of single-celled flagellate eukaryotes. When feeding as a heterotroph, Euglena takes in nutrients by osmotrophy, and can survive without light on a diet of organic matter, such as beef extract, peptone, acetate, ethanol or carbohydrates. When there is sufficient sunlight for it to feed by phototrophy, it uses chloroplasts containing the pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b to produce sugars by photosynthesis. According to this character of Euglena，I tried to explore the relationship between different light colors and activity degree of Euglena. During the process of experiments, I found there was no teaching aids available for us to create different light conditions in further to make contrast tests by using various color combinations of transparent papers. So I not only paid close attention to the diverse light color experiments of Euglena, but also tried to design and make experimental tools to provide some inspirations and references on the further teaching aids making of the study of Euglena, try to let more people, not only scientists, but also non-researchers could be at home or school to explore the secrets of science and beauty of art.

Design Objects: Boxes which could be changed the proportion of different color areas by pulling or rotating transparent papers inside in order to interact with Euglena(a genus of single-celled flagellate eukaryotes).

Material: Mood, Glass, Plastic Papers

Size: 10.1cm x 10.7cm

References: [1]

Use Black Silver Paper

13.12.2017

I tried to use different materials to make a hole which could let light go inside, then to observe the different edge of different materials of papers under the microscope. The amazing edge of Black Silver Paper, maybe I could consider to use microworld do some art things. :)

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Warm Color VS Cold Color

20.12.2017

In order to observe the influence of different colors on the active degree of Egulena. I chose colorful transparent papers in order to change the color of lights. Besides I chose the red that is the representative color of warm colors, and I also chose the blue color to make comparison with the red one.

After observing this experiment, at the first time, I saw more Egulena stayed at the blue area and thought they would pretty fond of blue color, but after a while most of them swam from the blue area to the red area，maybe they would like to search food in different colors of light.

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White light VS Color light

10.1.2018

Explore the relationship between different colors of transparent papers and the activity degree of Egulena. I made comparison with The White Light and Red Color of transparent paper, throught the experiments I found that most of Egulena wanted to escape from the red one to the white light.So I knew that if I want to control the movement of Egulena or guide them along the way I designed, maybe the white light is better to make this target come ture.

Now I want to design a interactive game by using different transparent paper to "play" with Egulena. Every time I finished my experienments, I had to copy the information from the SD Card in the careme. Sometimes the excting moment did not catch and keep by this camera, because the successful time was too short that I did not have enough time to push the "START" Button. Sometimes I kept the "recording video state, unfortunately the space of SD card is full, at last I had nothing left, only my memory. So I bought a new SD card by myself in order to change another one when the traditional SD card is full in future.

(@-@)Oh, I just wanted to express my complicated emotion because I need to clean glass slides and had to pour all Egulena into the hand washing sink，even though I observed them and they were lively one minute ago. Every time, I thougt I was a little bit sorry for them.

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Interactive Paper Boxes

17.1.2018

Today I made two models to achieve the aim of interactive with Egulena. The two models were built by using papers according to the size of microscope.

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The first model: We could hold the button to rotate the transparent papers inside. Under the microscope, we could see the obvious boundary between two pieces of transparent papers. So if we want to reduce the width of this "black" boundary, == I need to reduce distance between the "Rotating Transparent Paper Plate” and Egulena. The second model: We could pull the transparent papers from "left" to "right" to interactive with Egulena.==

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The next step I should to spend more time to design the structure of these two models and try to reduce the distance between the "Transparent Paper” and Egulena.

Interactive Paper Boxes

24.1.2018

Today I tried to use thick papers to make these models. Besides I measured the size of microscope stage accurately many times to make sure the models would accord with it and avoid shaking when people puling or rotating the transparent papers inside.

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Design Model

28.1.2018

After determined the dimensions of models, I started to design the details of them. In order to let more people have chance to interactive with Euglena, I designed six different styles of models for people.

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Design Models

31.01.2018

In order to cut materials accurately, I chose to use the laser cutter to make models. Because at the end of semester，plenty of people need this machine to work material, I got up at 6am to wait in line for the laser cutter. After 3 hours waiting, I finally got the chance to use the laser cutter. I was so excited when the machine started to work my material, just like a newborn came to this world. Then I sticked them together with glue according to the size.

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Final Models

31.03.2018

Euglena could feed by their phototrophy under the sufficient sunlight, they use chloroplasts containing the pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b to produce sugars by photosynthesis. Through multiple tests, I found that Euglena would show different behaviors with the change of the light environment. These cute boxes devices were designed to interactive with Euglena according to this character of Euglena. Different pieces of colorful transparent papers were put inside of these boxes and people could change different light color atmosphere by rotating or pulling them inside. People could change the proportion of different colorful papers to change the environment, at the same time, they could observe Euglena's behaviors through screen. That is so cool !

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