PICA Day 4

Photos courtesy Megan Schlipalius

Just a quikki tonight as it has been a long day and another tomorrow.

Finished the label holders & handles on the tables. Cocked the first one up of course. put them on upside down! managed to salvage it and the others look supa. successfully ambiguous museum/domestic.

Spent morning getting Daphnia, Hydra & Physarum ready to take to the gallery. subcultured the Physarum into the water agar vessel and fed with oat flakes. Already started moving towards food by the time I got to the gallery. Transferred 5 Daphnia to their vessel and fed. was lovely to sit on the couch later in the afternoon and watch them do their larva lamp thing.

wow trippy - watching the first episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine and there is a shot of “Dax” getting “impregnated” with her symbiont - everything is luscious red - gloves, coats, sheets - her response to receiving the symbiont is quite erotic.

So back to real life - Hydra dont seem to be thriving. Am wondering if it is the culture media I made - it may be different from the Southern Biological media supplied with the original specimens. Need to find out what is in theirs.

Great to have Oron Catts, Loren Kronemyer & Amy Congdon visit and appreciated their generous comments and support.

Planning to bring Arabidopsis & Drosophila in tomorrow; Candida, C. elegans & Neurospora on Monday.

Skyped with Sue & the twins in the gallery. Technology is amazing. Feels like home now.

Thanks to Megs for her patience with my 5pm energy crash. Bad time for decision making.

PICA Day 3

The room is so lovely with the window panels down. Love the natural light.

Spent the morning pouring blood and water agar into the vessels. One step closer… Got new Daphnia from Shian. She said they sometimes crash for no apparent reason, including if there are no adults. Since I only had a few juveniles, I guess that is what happened. Fed them with 4ml algae.

Email from John at SABC about the nematode plate I left at Murdoch. He was excited about at least one live nematode he found on the plate. I need to ask him about the contamination on my plates and start a liquid culture. I prepared 2.5L of luria broth in preparation for a large culture of E. coli to feed the liquid culture of C. elegans. I may need to get the seed nematodes from John as mine aren’t happy.

Brought the Homo sapiens vessel into the gallery. Will bring several more tomorrow.

Ionat & Oron are coming for a squiz tomorrow. Wanted to have the Candida box frame finished but the glue is too stinky. Will finish on the weekend. Will have the labels and handles onto the tables by then though. Will also bring Daphnia, Drosophila, Physarum, Hydra & Arabidopsis in tomorrow.

Spill Hazard Kit almost finished - need hand disinfectant and am waiting on the First Aid Kit.

Spent an hour with Megan just sitting on the couches talking about possible layouts, but lovely to just sit with rosehip tea and baklava. Thanks Megs