Hackteria FoodHacking - BioLab @ CynetArt - Dresden, Germany

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Agrar is the New Media


Performance and participatory Workshop.

Agar 1.jpg

Workshop set-up

Agar 4.jpg

Agarose gel electrophoresis

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Agar 10.jpg

Agar or agar-agar is a gelatinous substance derived by boiling a polysaccharide in red algae, where it accumulates in the cell walls of agarophyte and serves as the primary structural support for the algae's cell walls. In Biology Agar is often used to provide a solid surface containing medium for the growth of bacteria and fungi. Research grade agar is used extensively supplemented with a nutrient and vitamin mixture in Petri dishes under sterile conditions.

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a method of gel electrophoresis used in biochemistry, molecular biology, and clinical chemistry to separate a mixed population of DNA or proteins in a matrix of agarose. The proteins or DNA may be separated by charge and size or length. The process is used in DNA Fingerprinting to compare different samples of DNA.

Workshop

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This new workshop introduces one of the key technologies of every genetic and molecular biology lab – the gel electrophoresis chamber. In a playful and DIY methodology, using only cheap and accessible materials, you can build your own little device in an IKEA tupperware, cast your own gel into a hot-glue mold, add samples, such as food coloring and run the gel in a battery powered electric field. If you dare you can then eat your seperated product, mmmmmhhh yummi!

DIY micro GelElectrophoresis.jpg


Agar is typically sold commercially as a powder that can be mixed with water.
Agarose gels are easy to cast and is particularly suitable for art, which accounts for the popularity of its use.
The gel is prepared by dissolving the agarose powder in an appropriate buffer to be used in electrophoresis.
A comb is placed in the cast to create wells for loading sample, and the gel should be completely set before use.
Once the gel has set, the comb is removed, leaving wells where samples can be loaded.
By applying an electric field the negatively charged molecules move towards the positively-charged anode during electrophoresis.

AgarArt.jpg

Agar Art

Materials:

- 4 grosse Tische
- 20 Tischlampen
- 8 Steckerleisten
- Verlängerungskabel zu den Tischen
- Zugang zu Wasserbecken
- 40 günstige Tupperware (ca. 8x15cm)
- Lebensmittelfarben
- reines, ungesüsstes Agar-Agar (aus dem Reformhaus) - 2 Heizplatten
- 40 dicke Bleistiftmienen (1-2mm)
- 40 9V Batterien


http://hackteria.org/wiki/index.php/Agar_is_the_Media