Our (future) medicines are everywhere.
In a series of three events, we will explore new resources and discuss the issues surrounding antimicrobial resistance. Biohacker Pieter van Boheemen invites you to Waag’s Open Wetlab to learn how to hunt, grow, and test new medicines. DIYantibiotica.waag.org Antimicrobial resistance is much more a social than a technical challenge. It is a direct result of our increasingly urbanised society, fed by large scale animal farming, centralised wastewater treatment, and abuse of prescription drugs. WHO warns that the current antimicrobial crisis could bring "the end of modern medicine as we know it". Time for action!
DIY Antibiotics #3: test
During the first event (DIY Antibiotica #1: hunt), we learned how to hunt for new medicines. And during the second (DIY Antibiotica #2: grow), we prepared our samples. Now it's time to wrap up the series and measure our results! In this last edition, we'll round up our best candidates and put them to the test! Which microbes can be stopped with the extracts we found? We've got an entire biobank to test our samples on. Pick your favourite and let's get experimenting!
The biggest circle
To test our samples' strength, we'll be measuring their zone inhibition. The zone of what? The empty space around the sample where the bacteria have not grown enough to be visible is known as the zone of inhibition. If the bacteria cannot grow near the sample, we know your antibiotic is effective.
The larger the zone, the stronger your substance is and the closer you are to finding the next antibiotic. We'll compare the zones of inhibitions from each participant and declare our winner! Do you have what it takes?
Entrance is 10 euro, PIN only, to be paid on location.
#DIYantibiotica
Have you already gotten started making your own antibiotics? We'd love to see your progress! And so would our biohacker community. Share photos of your process and results with the hashtag #DIYantibiotica. We'll be collecting photos under this hashtag on the DIY Antibiotics website. Be sure to check back to see our community's progress and follow us on our journey as we discover new antibiotics.
The evening is hosted by Mike Thompson, Susana Camara Leret, Špela Petrič (artists) and Pieter van Boheemen (biohacker) as part of an Art of Impact project.
