Research-log

'LEVENDE PIXELS'
22.09.14 MAKING THE INK

Day 01
@ De Waag Open Wetlab Amsterdam
with Pieter van Bohemen & Maria Boto Ordonez

Maria introduced me to the pigmented bacteria Pieter and Maria already made in the Open Wetlab. Then we started to re-plate the bacteria and brewing some new liquid nutrition.

We are testing the following strains:
Micrococcus luteus (ML DSMZ) from DSMZ color: yellow
Rhodococcus coprophilus (RC) from DSMZ color: pink
Janthinobacterium lividum (JL) from DSMZ color: blue
Xanthomonas campestris (XC) from DSMZ color: yellow
Rhizobium etli (RE) from DSMZ color: brown
Vogesella indoferra (VI) from Dr. Simon Park color: dark blue
Arthrobacter agilis (Aag) from Dr. Simon Park color: pink
Chromobacterium violaceum (CV) from Dr. Simon Park color: purple
Dermacoccus nishinomyaensis (DN) from Dr. Simon Park color: orange
Micrococcus roseus (MR) from Dr. Simon Park color: salmon
Arthobacter polychromogens (AG) from Dr. Simon Park color: dark blue
Micrococcus luteus (ML) from Dr. Simon Park color: yellow
The strains will be tested on Nutrient Agar (NA) and Plate Count Agar (PCA).

23.09.14 MAKING THE INK

The results after one day :

Maria and i are searching for a way to extract the pigment from the plates and for a growing method in liquid nutrition.

23.09.14 GETTING THE CERTIFICATE !!!
Following the Open Wetlab Safety & Introduction Course.

26.09.14 MAKING THE INK
Finding a way to make the pigments liquid.
Maria and I are trying to solve the bacteria/pigments in different liquids.

Solubility :
Water +
Alcohol 70% +-
Vinegar -
Aceton + - -
The Purple bacteria (Janthinobacterium lividum (JL)) works with almost every liquid, only the other colors don't. Still water with some glass-granules works the best after some shaking.

Test 2:

What if we grow bacteria in liquid nutrition? We set up a little test with a bottle of liquid medium, a heating element(aquarium) on a magnetism mixer with some purple bacteria.

29.09.14 MAKING THE INK
The result of the bottle with liquid nutrition and a heating element on a magnetic mixer.

So this doesn't work well. The bacteria are only living at the surface and creating a biofilm.
Maybe less liquid medium in a bigger plate will help, so the bacteria can get their oxygen at the surface.

02.10.14 MAKING THE INK
TEST 3:
Plates with liquid medium.

07.10.14 MAKING THE INK

The Violet bacteria created a kind of biofilm with huge amount of pigment.
1. after extracting some pigment

Conclusion: only the violet one grows really good in liquid medium with some glycerol.
next step, look for some 'ingredients' that the other bacteria help growing better.

21.10.14 DIT - WORKSHOP: MAKING THE BIO-INK & BIO-Paper at De Waag.

foto: Arne Kuilman, Waag Society

21.10.14 THE FIRST TEST
Writing ‘BAC levende pixels’

24.10.14 TESTING THE VIOLET LIVING INK (JL)

14.11.14 THE FIRST SILKSCREEN TEST
with Ramon Goedvree at Kapitaal Utrecht, i searched for the last ingredient and made the first 'living ink prints'!

silkscreen print, testing 1 to 6 layers of ink

Adding a second layer

17.11.14 Preparing the samples for the exhibition at Het Nieuwe Instituut - The New Material Award

20.11.14 - 05.01.15
THE NEW MATERIAL AWARD EXHIBITION
With pride I can say 'Levende Pixels' / 'Living Pixels' is part of the exhibition in the museum Het Nieuwe Instituut at Rotterdam.

Tentoonstelling New Material Award in Het Nieuwe Instituut. Foto: Het Nieuwe Instituut / Johannes Schwartz. Foto: Fred Ernst.

WHAT A NIGHT!
Congrats to the winner Julia Veldhuijzen van Zanten and Fellowship winner Roos Meerman!

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30.11.14 INTERVIEW RTL4 KOFFIETIJD :)