MAKING_LIFE 2014–2015

Workshop Kit

This kit documents the three Making_Life workshops in more detail, and is intended especially for those interested in repeating any parts. It presents selected sessions from workshops 1 & 2, along with an overview of workshop 3, all in table format (see below). The material includes participant documentation, along with further explanation particularly for the practical sessions.

Workshop 1: an introduction to the molecular biological foundations of synthetic biology.

Day 1 TALK: Introductions and Laboratory Safety Instruction TALKSynthetic Biology’s Brief History and cultural amnesia (Oron Catts) TALK/DiscussionPhilosophical questions towards SynBio (Tarja Knuuttila) PRACTICAL:The Simplest Sensor Plating - bacteria from the environment
Day 2 TALK: Molecular biology(Oron Catts) TALK: Magnetic Bead Kit (Orkan Telhan) PRACTICAL: Bead based assembly (Orkan Telhan) TALK: Synthetic Biology Tools (Helena Shomar)
Day 3 TALK/Discussion: (Why) Do-It-Yourself? (Andy Gracie) PRACTICAL: Build-It-Yourself (Andy Gracie)
Day 4 FIELD TRIP: Helsinki Zoo
Day 5 TALK: Synthetic Biology for a Suitable Bioeconomy (Merja Penttilä) & Tour of VTT TALK: Synbio and technology bio-security/risk assessment (Markus Schmidt) TALK/PRACTICAL: Restriction enzymes (Paul Vanouse)
Day 6 PRACTICAL: Observing Bead cultures (Orkan Telhan) PRACTICAL: Restriction enzymes - part 2 (Paul Vanouse) PRACTICAL: Protocells TALK: Participant Sessions



 

Workshop 2: looking into the more exotic topics of synthetic biology like protocells and xenobiology.

Day 1 TALK: Introduction to workshop 2 (Andy Gracie) TALK: Xenobiology (Markus Schmidt) PRACTICAL: Winogradsky columns (Andy Gracie & Erich Berger) PRACTICAL: Abogenesis - Crystal garden (Erich Berger)
Day 2 TALK: Panspermia or Not (Robert Mutzel) PRACTICAL: Working with anaerobic cultures (Oron Catts) PRACTICAL: Halophile Cultures (Andy Gracie) PRACTICAL: Artificial extremophilia (Robert Mutzel)
Day 3 TALK: Individual 10 minute presentations PRACTICAL: Making Liposomal Vitamin C
Day 4 PRACTICAL: Encapsulation of Bacterial Ecosystems (Helena Shomar and Stephen Fortune) TALK: Protocells (Martin Hancyzc)
Day 5 Sandbox: Free experimentation time


 

Workshop 3: intense artistic prototyping, concluding the program with an exhibition and seminar.

Day 1 TALK: Introduction to workshop 2 (Andy Gracie) TALK: Xenobiology (Markus Schmidt) PRACTICAL: Winogradsky columns (Andy Gracie & Erich Berger) PRACTICAL: Abogenesis - Crystal garden (Erich Berger)
Day 2 TALK: Panspermia or Not (Robert Mutzel) PRACTICAL: Working with anaerobic cultures (Oron Catts) PRACTICAL: Halophile Cultures (Andy Gracie) PRACTICAL: Artificial extremophilia (Robert Mutzel)
Day 3 TALK: Individual 10 minute presentations PRACTICAL: Making Liposomal Vitamin C
Day 4 PRACTICAL: Encapsulation of Bacterial Ecosystems (Helena Shomar and Stephen Fortune) TALK: Protocells (Martin Hancyzc)
Day 5 Sandbox: Free experimentation time