GMU:Life in an aquatic ecosystem/Negin Ehtesabian

Luminescent dance: the Algae Light spectrum

Suggested installation for the project; with parallel panels in a deep-frame box with lighting (digital collage: photoshop + hand drawing)

This project investigates how environment such light and nutrition interacts with Chlamydomonas and Euglena, a type of green algae. The research is to examine how different conditions affect the algae's movement and density. This will involve feeding the algae and keep them in a laboratory condition, collecting data, creating journal with drawings and photos, and providing a brief introduction the findings.

This installation highlights the fragility and sensitivity of some of the most valuable single-celled organisms for humans and the environment. It offers an interactive experience that explores the relationship between the algae and light, providing an educating insights to this tiny-looking detail of science that some biologists dedicate years of their lives to study this essential species.

Documenting observations and information during the research

Installation:

The installation features several parallel plates made of delicate calque paper or sheer fabric moving and overlapping consistent with the light strength. These panels, or free form fabrics display drawn designs of Chlamydomonas, which can project density change by moving the panels through external threads, to be interactive or automatic. The lighting creates a watery ambiance, and ideally, it would be companied with some nature sounds. Incorporating sound could enhance the sensory experience of the installation.

Here are some AI-generated samples based on the project's prompt: exploring the possibilities.

Some of the journal's pages:

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Some photo of the Lab-experiments:

First day after algae feeding and three samples after two weeks. Observation: Euglena is green and dense, which shows that it liked the environment, food and light/heat; but Chlamydomonas is dead, and it's mold all over the place: Too much light/warm kills Chlamydomonas.