---
title: Biology Zero
page_type: course
track: Exploration
course_type: Short Course
feature_img: /assets/images/2023-24/year-1/t-1/biology-zero.jpg
img_caption: All Photo Credits | Jonathan Minchin, Nuria Conde and graduate MDEF students
faculty:
    - nuria-conde
    - jonathan-minchin
ects: 1
---

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## Syllabus

The recent growth of the international DIY-Bio / I-GEM and Bio Hackers networks are born of a motivation to narrow the golf between research conducted in institutional and corporate settings and to redirect the scientific locus back towards citizen scientists. The agenda of democratizing access to the sciences is shared with that of libre software and open source electronics and maker movements. The course will introduce biological design as a creative and transdisciplinary practise that is open to all.

Access to the means of experimentation for the investigative and applied sciences will not only change the way we understand and describe the world but also bring forth new knowledge, designs and engineering practices. Through the course, researchers will learn how to identify microorganisms, how to take samples and prepare cultivation medias, how to observe microscopic organisms and to design with DNA. Researchers will be introduced to scientific concepts such as sterility, metabolism, genome, synthetic biology, biochemistry and microbiology. Gaining the ability to make creative decisions and construct logical frameworks for study and production in the field of biology.

**Keywords: DIYbio, synthetic biology, biological design**


### Learning Objectives

- Become familiarized with DIY-Bio communities, online knowledge bases as well as and practical techniques and resources.
- Gain an understanding of major and relevant biologically driven design principles and how these can be applied practically to real world problems and emergent solutions. 
- Distinguish between research disciplines including biochemistry / molecular biology / material science and Synthetic biology. 
- Attain a capability to differentiate, specify and select relevant researchers and read a scientific papers without misunderstanding. Gain proficiency in making proposals in a general way, based on that research.
- Being able to follow the scientific methodology applied to experimentation to generate new knowledge. To plan, execute and extract the proper conclusions from an experiment.

## Schedule

=== "07/11"

    **10:00 - 12:00**

    **Theory** - Synthetic Biology
    
    **Theory** - Planetary Wellbeing

    **12.15 - 14.15**

    **Practical** - Sampling
    
    **Practical** - Making Petris

=== "08/11"

    **10:00 - 12:00**

    **Theory** - Microbiology + Microbiome

    **12.15 - 14.15**

    **Practical** - Microscopy

=== "09/11"

    **10:00 - 12:00**

    **Theory** - Cell Building + Genetics

    **12.15 - 14.15**

    **Practical** - Designing a GMO

### Methodological Strategies

**Theory Lectures:**

- Synthetic Biology / Planetary Wellbeing / Microbiology + Microbiome / Cell Building + Genetics

**Workshops:**

- Designing a Genetically Modified organism

**Practical Experiments:**

- Microbe Cultivation / Cultivation Media / Microscopy 

**Case Studies:**

- Selecting and developing a hypothetical practical experiment

**Scientific Methodology:**

- Task 1: Referencing research, designing an experiment.

**Practical Experience:**

- Task 2: Individuals will map out the local micro-biome.
- Task 3: Small teams of students will work on cultivation medias,
- Task 4: Individuals will use microscopes to identify organisms.

**Concept Design // Project based Learning:**

- Task 5: Cell Building and Genetics

**Visual Thinking:**

- Task 6: (Homework) Visualize a designed experiment.

## Deliverables

Creatively depict, describe and visualize a ‘**Designed experiment**’ that encompasses class concepts, notes and explores the Scientific method and its processes of hypothesizing, developing and testing. The depiction could be in any form of a poster / diagram / info-graphic or any other media. It should creatively depict the impacts of a newly conceived ‘Genetically Modified Organism’ in the world.

## Grading Method

!!! info ""

    :fontawesome-solid-circle-info:{ .icon-padding-right } **Grading criteria will be defined by faculty during the module.**

!!! ects "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)"

    {{ ects }} ECTS

## Additional Resources

[Regenesis : George Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Church_(geneticist))

[TED X Talk : How to convert yourself into a biohacker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kc0IFavUes&feature=emb_title)

[Biohack Academy](http://biohackacademy.github.io/)

[iGEM](https://igem.org/Main_Page)

## Faculty

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