12.04.2023, 13.04.2023 - /Growing, Shaping and Living (with) Microalgae with biologist Johann
In this first workshop we learned and worked with algae cultivated in water based liquid. With few experiments and research we found out the requirements for them to grow.
28.04.2023, 29.04.2023 - /DNA analysis with molecular biologist Julian Chollet
For this workshop we focused on learning a molecular biology technique called PCR used to repeatedly replicate (amplify) a defined stretch of DNA for which the starting and ending nucleotide sequences are known. It is necessary to prepare samples (plants, flower, fruit, saliva, skin) of substances whose DNA we want to replicate and we do this through a process of mushing and mixing and centrifuging. After the peparation of the samples, we prepare the gel that need to contain them. Once pipeting the samples in the gel we wait for them to give results. Already after half an hour we can understand which samples contain DNA and in which the stretch of DNA is long or short.
20.05.2023, 21.05.2023 - /Nanopore sequencing with safety engineer Lisa Thalheim
In this workshop the engineer Lisa Thalheim introduced us the way artists made use of this new technology and showed us how to use the nanopore DNA sequencing. A small machine called MiniON that is capable of analyzing in real-time long fragments of DNA and RNA giving immediate access to results. The machine we used contains up to 512 nanopore channels for the sequencing. We prepared the sample to put in the machine and once loaded in it we compared the results with online libraries to identify the organisms present in the sample.
Idea/Sketch
The idea start from a bus station, a place where people sit and wait. Boredom hits and the urge to have something to do come. So what better place to entertain people? This very particular stop attracts attention and creates questions in people's minds. It can be surprising when they get to know that things like algae, that sometimes you can even find growing on your own building, can be used for so much more. The bus station gives an example. In Its glass panel people could find material made by algea, completely natural and vegan. Explanation of the concept and the material could keep people busy while they wait. It could be maybe a temporary exposition where different bus stops show the different potentiality that algae could have.
