What a weekend at The Edge! On Saturday I participated in the Awesome Bio-Micro-Fashion workshop and learnt a bit more about plant microscopy with Melody from QUT. On Sunday I facilitated a DNA Jewellery workshop with Pahia - always super fun!  This time around, we had a few more samples to process - strawberries, bananas and split peas. Before we got into the hands-on kitchen science part of the workshop, we looked some key terms and contemporary research in the field of genetics. We also had a look at a few art-science projects involving jewellery making including the DNA jewellery of designer Elaine Young and the Biojewellery project by Tobie Kerridge and Nikki Stott.  After this brief introduction to the fabulous world of genetics and art-science interactions, we started getting our hands dirty in Lab 2. Keep posted for more awesome workshops at The Edge!

After spending the best part of three months in The Edge's basement, the time has come to release The Edge's latest creation into the wild! The Mobile Media Lab has been in development since late 2012 and has taken the combined brains of our programming team and eaten most of  the output from our 3d -Printer, so I thought I'd put together a quick Q&A to introduce the project. What is the MML? Physically - its a box. A very strong, portable waterproof box that contains the essentials for a mobile multiuser media creation lab. The current MML spec is eight iPad minis, a macbook air, a custom charge/sync station and various other bits and bobs, software and hardware in a Pelican Storm IM2500 case. Conceptually - to take a line from the official project outline; The Mobile Media Lab (MML) project is run by The Edge, State Library of Queensland and aims to develop a regional model of community responsive content creation for young indigenous participants in Rockhampton, Queensland. Practically -  it means that The Edge is outreaching to provide opportunity, expertise and equipment to do its part in fulfilling the State Library of Queensland's mission.  Output from the MML will range from complete video and music production to digital art, storytelling, web publishing and more. Hang on - isn't that just a bunch of iPads in a road case? What makes it special? While the hardware is essentially off the shelf - the key part of what makes the MML a 'lab' rather than just a charging box is the emphasis on multi user creation, robust media sharing, and expert devised workshops and  training programs. The lab will leave The Edge with content and workshops preloaded and expert assistance available.   And we spent a lot of design time getting everything into a carry-on size case. And printing things out on our 3D printers. So why iPads? Why not a few laptops - surely a more productive experience? Or android tablets? Running workshops for years on various creative subjects -  we have come to realise that a large part of almost any workshop can be thought of as 'point and click' time where the facilitator is going through menus, ticking boxes, opening and shutting windows. In short -dealing with the basics of a GUI and OS.   Part of the joy of small screens is that most of this has been stripped away by necessity and  the app and OS designers have thought long and hard about how best to do this. If you want to take a photo on a pad or phone device - you touch a picture that represents an camera - no mouse point, double click to open programme.  This is a trivial example - but a photo editing/retouching app like snapseed or a sound mangler like samplr make incredibly complex  manipulation of pictures and sound as close to intuitive as possible. To the point where I feel old just thinking about how hard it used to be to get these kinds of results!  It feels obvious that in a few generations time, having a screen that you can't touch will be the unusual thing, so why buck the trend?   iOS over android was a fairly straight forward choice in the initial planning stages. Android couldn't take the realtime audio requirements of the kind of apps we need to use. Finally, form factor and weight considerations means an iPad based lab can actively engage between 8 - 16 participants, with a carry on luggage size amount of kit.  While it is possible to carry 6 laptops and assorted support gear, or load a roadcase with a sound system into a van, lugging around so much gear is bad for our backs and eventually for the gear itself. This time we took a modular approach, built around 'add-on packs' that can be community sourced and provided, or even built as part of MML workshops or The Edge's programming. Who is it For? The lab is part of a framework for engaging young indigenous people in media creation in regional Queensland.  Our initial engagement in Rockhampton will be based around working with Durumbal Community Youth Services, who have graciously offered their workers and facilities for us to start our workshops and training series.  Rockhampton Regional Council  and Creative Capricorn will help us put the lab into the community, supplying booking system, space to work and contact and links with existing creative types. Also ABC Open Capricornia is keen for their participants to use the lab for their various exciting projects. Where is it going to be in use? Currently the lab has been travelling between The Edge and Rockhampton, with a couple of excursions for testing to Stradbroke Island (working with the outstanding folk from SLQ Kuril Dhagan) and to the Mini Maker Faire in Adelaide. What is the future? By June this year we anticipate the MML will be in full use in the community, with all training and hand over complete, and the lab will be living in Rocky.  We will provide in-person training and continual development. At the end of the process The Edge will make freely available DIY plans to create a MML and in the process we will have moved on to Version II - stronger, faster, smarter, and maybe even smaller than before.  Along the way we will be working with other parts of SLQ Over the next few weeks I'll be going into details, exploring the design process, the parts, the build, the software, the apps, and the workshops - keep an eye on this space.            

In anticipation of our upcoming Slime Mould Maze Madness Workshop, we have imported a new Edge pet.   S(he) is growing really well and seems to be enjoying the delicious rolled oats.  We have finally received our lab agar, so I will be plating out additional cultures today. With our ongoing contamination issue in the basement, I think I will sub-culture ye olde Slimey in Lab 2 upstairs.  

I've been working with the microscope and attached camera which has been set up in the Basement.  To get used to taking images and test out the magnification, I took a few images of the bacterial and fungal contamination which resulted in a massive disposal of the infected yeast/bacteria kombucha colonies. Despite contaminating the kombucha something fierce, I think the pics are still pretty darn pretty.  

We’re looking for an unusual, compelling and considered project which experiments with the fringes of arts, science, technology or enterprise. To join our team as a Resident you must have an unrealised project. Your project will be a little out of the ordinary; it will present new ideas, techniques, processes or outcomes. It may not fit nicely into one bucket; it may be a hybrid, resting somewhere between pure arts, science, technology or enterprise. It will be on the fringes. It can be an individual work or the result of a team effort. Despite these complexities you should be able to sum up for us what you want to do, how long it will take and what help you need to pull it off. You may not have all the pieces you need to make your grand plan happen, but that’s where we come in. Over three or four months we will ply you with cash (to the tune of $5K), give you a swipe card that opens all the doors in our building and introduce you to anyone and everyone that we think you need to know to make your project go from good to great. We will also offer you a place to work, cake to eat and listening ears to help tweak and test your project along the way. In return we have a few things to ask. We want you to keep us up to date every step along the way. Send us Facebook updates, record little videos, or, heaven forbid, drop in and have a coffee every week or two so that we know you are doing ok. We also want you to keep our Edge community up to date. Give them an opportunity to hear what you are up to or learn how to do it for themselves. Let them know what is working, what is not and what they can expect when you are finally done. If you were nodding along as you read this (or had to read it twice as you got distracted by possibility and ideas halfway through) then you may just be perfect for this residency. The next step is to think about it a bit more, call us to chat about what you are thinking, stress about it for a week or two, and pull an all-nighter putting together your project proposal using the format below. Once you are done round it all up and email it to Daniel Flood (daniel.flood@slq.qld.gov.au) by 5pm, 4 March 2013. For more information call Daniel Flood on 07 3840 7382. To get a better idea of what a Resident looks like, you can have a read of the blog posts published by current residents, Phil and NJ. Submitting your proposal When compiling your proposal please consider that we will be reading through lots of submissions. Make your layout easy to read and keep the length as concise as possible. The faster we can grasp the idea that you have, the more likely we are to love it. Please submit via email a .pdf file which addresses the following information: Personal details: Name Date of birth Email Phone number Address Project details: Artist/s bio Why do you want to be a resident at The Edge? What are you proposing for your residency project? How will you allocate your $5000 budget (artist fees, materials etc)? What are the key milestones for your project and when you can expect to achieve them (project timeline)? What documentation will you generate to showcase your process and project? How will The Edge creative community be involved in your project? Where did you hear about this opportunity?      

Phil and I have been working on our game, Mojo, for a couple of months now and we’re proud to announce that the first alpha build is complete. Although most of the core mechanics have been implemented, as well as a lot of the art, we’re keeping the testing in-house for now. Don’t worry though, as soon as we have the game in beta, we’ll make the it available to more people. If you want the chance to try it out, make sure to follow us on Facebook. This is not the only news we’re revealing today however. Some of you may be aware that we’ve kept an important feature of our game secret, but after successfully testing it we’re excited to share it with you here. For those of you who’ve had suspicions, speculations or even visited the fortune teller, the wait is over! A player will be able to use the camera of an iOS device to scan barcodes which will magically transform into usable in-game items. We’re hoping to make it work on various Android devices too but for now, we’re sticking to iPhones and iPads. When applying for the residency we knew that this was something we wanted to try out, the idea had been collecting dust in the form of a design document for over a year waiting to be made. The challenge was to adapt the idea so that we could apply the use of barcodes to a type of game we both enjoyed. Another challenge was to fit the scope of our game into the fairly tight timeframe of the residency, considering we are only a two person team. We love the idea of letting players interact with the real world while playing the game and believe it adds an entertaining element to the gameplay. There have been very limited games that have used barcodes, especially the mobile markets so we’re really excited to see how people are going to respond. So, the next time you go shopping and you're bored, you can gather powerful ingredients for your witch doctor! Finished a can of soda? Just devoured your favorite chocolate? Scan the can or wrapping before you trash it and you'll get some extra ingredients to use when you mix your next potions!

Along with setting up a wet lab area for workshops, I am also hoping to produce a basic timelapse video pod for capturing the growth of plants, fungi and micro-organisms.  The idea so far is to develop a self-contained system with built in LED growth lights, heating system, USB camera and basic microscope camera, as well as an onboard computer (raspberry pi) and touch screen.  In some ways it will be a more sophisticated version of the above Hack-A-Day Post outlining a Plant Monitor that includes a moisture sensor and timelapse camera. The full construction information also available from  http://tomatos.have.no.32leav.es/ which is great! I am hoping to get a basic prototype designed and constructed within the next month or two.  After some refining and additional programming, I would like to use to use the set up to capture the growth of different organisms, and translate this into audio or generative visualisations.  This would allow the module to be used for science experiments, education, image/video capture and art installations.

I spoke to Mick and Danielle last week and they were both pretty excited about the prospect of a usable laboratory to enable a variety of workshops or meet-ups for people interested in working across art, science and technology. After searching the web and comparing material costs from a variety of biotech supply companies, I have finally compiled list of basic supplies and equipment and have more of an idea of the costs associated with setting up a basic wet lab at The Edge.  We already have a microscope and  camera thanks to BioScience Catalyst Cameron Wilson, so that at least reduces some of the set-up cost.  So far the list includes: Fridge/freezer Microwave Pressure cooker (sterilisation) Blender DIY laminar flow hood for sterile work DIY incubator Cetrifuge Dissection tools - scalpel, forceps, scissors Beakers (1000mL, 500mL, 250mL) Erlenmeyer flasks (1000mL, 500mL) PPE (gloves, lab coats, glasses) Spray bottles Petri dishes Slides and coverslips Centrifuge tubes (1mL, 15mL and 50mL) Culture vessels Transfer pipettes Test tubes and racks Measure spoons Balance Ethanol Sodium hypochloride Vinegar Agar Distilled water Labels Autoclave tape Cling wrap Aluminum foil With the addition of project specific chemicals and specimens this basic lab could enable a range of low-risk engagements for users including: Micropropagation (plant cell culture) DNA and chlorophyll extraction Isolation of mitochondria and chloroplasts Specimen preparation, staining and microscopy Microbiology (microbial work - bacteria and fungi) Mummification (I have a great protocol for doing this using basic pool supplies) Cameron's Kombucha culture I  am also excited about the potential of linking these elements to other tech projects at The Edge: e.g. plants as gaming controls, microbe or plant based generative visualisations.  As new Catalysts and Residents come through, more elements and workshops could be also added to the list. Today I will finally move away from the computer and catalogue existing supplies and materials.  I also want to look at the available spaces in The Edge basement and look at possibilities for structuring the physical lab set-up.  

Yesterday I spent most of my time looking into plant cell culture or micropropogation (plant multiplication in vitro).   It has a number of parallels with animal cell culture, but carries a lower risk for participants, particularly in a public space like The Edge. From information available online there are several ways of propagating plants in the lab. One of the more simple cell culture processes simply involves removing a piece of plant material (an explant) and culturing it in media that contains growth factors that induce root and shoot formation. Since the process involves culturing small plant sections or individual plant cells, the culturing environment and media must be kept sterile to avoid bacterial or fungal contamination. In the the US there are a number of micropropogation kits available for plant enthusiasts from including the Phytocultures Kit (for professionals), LED Grow Master Kit (from beginner to intermediate) and the Kitchen Culture Kit (for beginners and hobbyists). While these are not available in Australia, the Kitchen Culture Kit  Website still has some great info about how to set up a basic culture environment at home using supermarket supplies (agar, vinegar, bicarb, bleach, sugar, rubbing alcohol, microwave and jars etc.) and only a few specialist media components (plant preservative mixture (PPM - biocide), Murashige and Skoog (MS- medium), Benzlaminopurine (BAP -shoot formation), Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA - root formation).  They also have some good info on setting up a basic sterile area or 'clean box' using large plastic containers. In Australia the choice is more limited, but both Sigma-Aldrich and Austratec have plant biotech supplies available.  Of the two Austratec is perhaps the better option - their prices are more competitive and they specialise in plant biology.  They stock most of the Phytotechnology range including basic micropropogation kits for African Violets, Lilies and Orchids. One of the nice things about doing plant cell culture is that you are able to effectively create clones of a single plant which reduces genetic variability in plant experiments. Natalie Jeremijenko's One Tree(s) project used clones of a single tree to illustrate environmental influence. Cool stuff...