Queen Victoria on film!!!

So there I was, measuring the intensity of the radiation emitting from my southern blot. The click, click, click-click-click sounds from the geiger counter sounded a bit too frequent (meaning that the blot is not as clean as it should be and needs extra washing to get rid of the residue isotope) but that day I was impatient (and a bit desperate!) to see something, anything on my blot. So I carefully dried it on a piece of tissue, wrapped it in cling film, stuck it down in the casette and exposed it to film overnight.

I had expected to see bands on the film of my DNA with some residue blobs here and there. Imagine the shock when I saw this! :

Over-exposure!! At its finest!!!

But look at the outline in the centre. Does it look familiar?

Queen Victoria! On MY film! How cool is that???

We are human after all

While trawling the internet, I found this story: 'American biologist trapped on UK beach phones 911... and is rescued after operators in Washington put her through to British police.' Not the finest moment for anyone and especially for one whose profession portrays them to be intelligent and knowledgeable. However, we must remember a job title is just a job title and a qualification is just a qualification. Underneath it all there is a person, who can make silly mistakes just like everyone else. We are human after all.

Lab frustrations!!!

From practical grievances to writing up and publishing the damn stuff, these links say it all!


Caught in a bad project!


Herr Professor is not amused...

All this leads to everyone submitting their work to this prestigious journal:

Where all submissions, regardless of the quality, will be... rejected! Here are the reasons for why this is a good thing as according to the journal:

1. You can send your manuscript here without suffering waves of anxiety regarding the eventual fate of your submission. You know with 100% certainty that it will not be accepted for publication.

2. There are no page-fees.

3. You may claim to have submitted to the most prestigious journal (judged by acceptance rate).

4. The JofUR is one-of-a-kind. Merely submitting work to it may be considered a badge of honor.

5. You retain complete rights to your work, and are free to resubmit to other journals even before our review process is complete.

6. Decisions are often (though not always) rendered within hours of submission.


Have a nice day and keep smiling!

Check out: Journal of Universal Rejection

I'm cooking on sunshine! (Wooah!)

The concept of green energy becoming a perceivable substitute for coal and gas was validated again - this time in the kitchen. World-acclaimed Catalan designer Martí Guixé, Finnish food visionary Antto Melasniemi and Lapin Kulta beer have joined forces to present the Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant, where all the cooking is done and powered only by pure solar energy.

According to the official website, the Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant "highlights key contemporary themes: a nature-driven process, flexibility and immediacy. Depending on the sunshine of a given day, the kitchen is able to do a solar barbecue, meals prepared at lower temperatures or salads. The restaurant will therefore also test people’s flexibility: if it rains, we have to adapt, reschedule and deal with the nature-dependent delays. Immediacy will be evident in the urgency of movements and decisions, and real-time information: a cloud could change the course of a business lunch!"

Unlike the traditional way of cooking, solar heat affects the taste and texture of the dish in a surprising and positive way, producing a completely different taste experience

- Antto Melasniemi and Martí Guixé

Last month, their solar cooking project showcased at Milan Design Week 2011. This summer the restaurant will be setting up all over Europe, with the project making a trail towards the never-setting summer sun of the Arctic Circle. Customers can marvel at this creative and innovative use of the sun while enjoying gourmet cooking, beer, life and art.

Check out their website to see if they are coming to a city near you. Once you have found this out and you want to know when they are opening, look up to the sky...

Source: Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant

Biocouture

How cool is this - Suzanne Lee of Biocouture at Central Saint Martins has established a method to produce material that can be molded into clothing - a method that involves growing bacteria on sweetened green tea in bathtubs!

A biofilm being grown on sweet green tea. Picture courtesy of Biocouture





The bacteria feeds on the sweet tea and grow and aggregate to form biofilms on the surface of the liquid. The cellulose that is being produced by the bacteria (and what holds the biofilm together as a matrix) can be taken after it has grown to a thickness of around 1.5 cm, dried out and molded into clothes. These can be dyed a variety of colours, the quantity of which is needed being less than that for other commercially used materials, an added benefit for the environment.

A Biobiker jacket. Picture courtesy of Biocouture


The Biocouture material is described as having a "vegetable leather" feel. Like vegetable waste when unwanted it can be discarded and treated as compost.

At a time when we are looking for green solutions for various industries, this novel method seems beautifully simple and has a fantastic result. The question remains whether this unique material can be made strong enough for everyday wear-and-tear, can be made water resistant and whether a variety of materials can be made to substitute for the likes of denim or nylon. At present Suzanne Lee, a Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) fellow and her team are planning to scale up this whole process that will hopefully involve the use of waste streams from the food and drink industry. A Stella dress to go with a Mac-mac and a cola clutch bag? I am excited!!! :D

I wish this project the best of luck. I will be looking forward to buying a handbag from them in the not-too distant future! ;)

Source: Biocouture

See also:

Suzanne Lee - a profile
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
London Science Museum: Trash Fashion
TED Fellowship