About vivoLabs

Biotech Media Research

The Living Sculpture Series

hymNext Project
re-Mystified
Sacred Cow
Vesica Piscis

Installations & Workshops

Writings & Publications

Media Relations

Artist's Main Site

Links

Contact

Feeding Appliance

The life cycle of tissue culture specimens are regulated manually since the culture plate has a three dimensional shape and the in vitro environment is unorthodox to usual laboratory protocol. The challenge of sustaining living artwork is that each piece will self organize its cell proliferation, depending on the size of the vessel, extracellular matrix used and provision of nutrients within a time period. Upon determining average pH valuation ranges within the context of cellular metabolism, gas exchange rates between organism and vessel enclosure, and the factors of cell density within the extracellular matrix, these variables will pose as markers or input for an exhibition bioreactor and feedback functions. The feeding appliance consist of portals for input of new media, output of waste media, additional portals for gas exchange and monitoring devices such as the pH probe in this customized vessel.

Feeding Appliance. Magnifying dish size: 1" x 1" x 1", acrylic.

Portals from top and clockwise:
- 4 mm circular filter with 2 micron pore gas exchange
- digital pH monitor probe
- manual waste output to 10 ml syringe
- manual media input from 10 ml syringe

End stage tissue culturing.

Items from left and clockwise:
- 3 large bottles: customized nutrient media
- syringe pipettes
- small test tubes: penicillin/streptomycin antibiotic
- medium test tubes: Keratinocyte growth serum
- 2 feeding appliances

Tabletop lab image source: Brian Degger, 2008



View Project Log