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
Tutoring Hours: Mondays; 14:00-16:00

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; protists/microscopy/games
October 25 /slime molds, mycelium; class with Azucena Sanchez
November 1 /DNA extraction
November 8 /Designing primers, PCR; class with Dr. Julian Chollet
November 15 /Electrophoresis
November 22 /No class
November 29 /presentation of individual ideas
December 6 /hands on (individual ideas)
December 13 /Interspecies communication and hands on (individual ideas)
December 20 /Updates on individual projects
January 10 /Work on projects
January 17 /Work on projects
January 24 /Work on projects
January 31 /Work on projects

Students

Related previous courses

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.