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bio & agri zero

track: Exploration

experiments


Drying the auxetic sterile dishes

During the course we had the chance to perform our own DIY experiments in the classroom in order to apply the theory we were taught in practice. We were divided in 4 groups and with the guidance of Nuria and Jordi, we created from scratch the lab conditions to test our hypothesis, which we then shared and compared with those of the other groups. We did 4 different experiments:

  1. microorganisms
    We created a sterile environment and prepared sterile petri dishes. Then we made the auxetic media for lactobacillus and collected microorganisms from our environment. After one night in the warm incubator, they had already visibly colonized the dishes…

  2. bioplastics
    To my surprise, bioplastic is a very easy and simple material to “cook” in only a few minutes by only 3 ingredients: hydrogen, alcohol and carbon chain. After preparing our apple infused plastic mix, we poured it into the molds and the next day we had our first DIY soft and sparkly bioplastics.

  3. microscopy
    Our introduction to the micro-world. We had the chance to use 4 different microscopes and prepare the slide samples of fish embryos and other interesting cases. It was very impressive to see with one’s own eyes so much detail in living organisms. Also interesting was the technical side of the microscope and the way it produces such magnification with the reflexion of the light.

  4. ph paper
    This one was probably my favourite. Our task was to DIY ph paper from red cabbage extract. We cut the cabbage and then blended it until it was liquid. Then we cut small paper pieces which we infused with the juice of the cabbage. Once they dried, we tested the reaction in its colour by dropping various solutions, from very basic to very acidic. e.g. bleach, lemon juice, vinegar, salt. The result was very colourful!

  5. spirulina and Kombucha
    Last day, we got a treat from Nuria and Jordi. They showed us how to cultivate spirulina and measure its consistency using a DIY, made out of an empty yogurt case. At the end of the class we tasted the spirulina paste on a baguette that they brought us. The taste gave mixed reactions to the class..

Comment*
To some extent we faced the challenges of practicing experiments, like the critical importance of working with high accuracy and recording every single detail about the process. Practicing experiments in class helped us generate knowledge in a more empirical, collective and enjoyable way.

article

“Sex of Researcher Influences Ketamine’s Effects in Mice”

“As New Scientist reports, the researchers got different results when testing the antidepressant effects of ketamine in mice depending on which members of the lab conducted the experiment, which involved measuring how long the mice would swim when placed in a tank. Gould, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, had read a 2014 study that found the presence of men, but not women, dulls mice’s pain, and according to a university news release, his team also heard anecdotes from other labs about experimental results that seemed to be influenced by researcher sex. So they decided to test whether this could explain the inconsistencies they saw, since they couldn’t replicate their experiments.
The team reported in an August 30 Nature Neuroscience paper that the sex of researchers working with mice did indeed influence outcomes involving ketamine treatment, with the scent of human males triggering the release of a hormone in mice’s brains that enabled the drug to work as an antidepressant. The findings suggest that researcher sex may confound animal research in a variety of experiments.
“Our findings in mice suggests that activating a specific stress circuit in the brain may be a way to improve ketamine treatment” Gould says in the university announcement. The researchers also delved into the mechanisms behind that effect, and found that when men administered ketamine to the mice, a hormone called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was released in an area of the mouse hippocampus associated with depression, enabling the ketamine’s antidepressant effect. This didn’t happen when women administered the drug unless they accompanied the ketamine with a dose of CRF. Gerlinde Metz of the University of Lethbridge in Canada tells New Scientist that researcher sex is just one of many variables that can affect animal experiments; others include their shipment to the lab, diet, and even the season. She says researchers should try to control for the effects of these variables as best they can, although it may be impossible to do so completely.”

article reflection

When I read the title of this article, at first it caught my attention because of the statement. The human’s gender role in mice experiments sounds definitely an unexpected and interesting observation, so as the possible benefits to the medicine’s effect in humans. But this was not the reason I chose this article for the assignment.
From the very first until the last day of the course Nuria was strongly stressing out the importance of keeping track of the experiment’s conditions, like any slight modification we make in our recipes and keeping track of every single variable that can possibly affect the results. Truth is, it has been almost impossible for us not to make any mistake or improvising a little. But at least in our case we could still be aware of it.
So when I read that such an unexpected, supposedly irrelevant factor like the gender can affect the experiment’s results, I really understood how complex it can get. The scientists couldn’t replicate the experiment even in such an advanced and professional level. I realized that even when we think we control all of the parameters and be extremely precise, there can always be a surprise. There is going to be a tiny detail that we miss and might have a dramatic influence.
I find this process very frustrating, demanding and fascinating. I am hoping to experience those multi coloured feelings of discovery within my MDEF journey.

team work makes the dream work


While projecting our dirty skin on the laptop through the electronic microscope. Amazingly disgusting

team: Claudia, Korbinian, Myrto, Stella

Last update: June 21, 2023