Background

After the PCR workshop, we continue our adventure in do-it-yourself biology by giving you yet another tool to explore your health, environment and food.

This time we’ll build a spectrometer, an instrument which is able to detect the exact light wavelengths absorbed or emitted by a substance. In the same way a fingerprint identifies each individual human, from the light spectrum it is possible to identify and quantify different substances.

Many DIY spectrometers have been developed by citizen science communities, especially to address environmental and health concerns of their local communities, such as water pollution. The success of these initiatives has resulted in a recommendation for the Environmental Protection Agency in US to recognize the power of citizen science and embrace it to promote the protection of the environment.

Many citizen scientists are getting involved in spectrometry. There is even an online community where people upload spectra of the most various substances.

Here are some examples of what you can do with spectrometry:

• Monitoring oxygen content as well as pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems
• Characterization and measurement of proteins and DNA
• Analysing spectral emissions of sun, stars and galaxies
• Measuring the amount of clorophyll in plants
• Measure alcohol content in beverages
• Testing espresso coffee spectra

Workshop

In this Workshop, we’ll build a desktop spectrometer for the biohacking corner at the Heidelberg Makerspace, and in addition every partecipant will have the opportunity to build her own DIY spectrometer to take home.

The device can work in combination with either a smartphone camera or a webcam. So, if you’re planning to build your own, please bring your smartphone or a webcam (also, don’t forget to register so we can buy the material needed!).

The webcam offers more sensitivity, however if you don’t have one available it’s no problem: since the spectrometer has a modular design, it is possible to upgrade it in a later moment and add a proper camera to it.

After building the device, we’ll calibrate it with reliable reference spectra (compact fluorescence light) and we’ll backcheck with other reference spectra (LEDs).

We will then explore the applications of a spectrometer in two ways:

• Emission Spectrometry: in 2012 the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) published a study about health effects of artificial light. During the workshop, we’ll investigate by practical experience what this issue with some lamps is.
• Absorption Spectrometry: we’ll perform a simple biology experiment, by extracting pigments from plant leaves and analyzing their spectrum. Different plant are characterized by their pigments and therefore unique spectra; moreover clorophyll levels can be detected and can indicate how healthy the plant is.

The spectrometer further expand the possibilities for biohacking projects at the Makerspace. In particular, spectrometers have proved useful in citizen science initiatives monitoring water and air pollution. You are welcome to bring in your personal projects and ideas on how to use the spectrometer and to discuss them with the biohacking community.

Participants

The workshop is open to beginners and experienced bio-intrepids alike. No previous knowledge in electronics or biology is needed, as all the relevant notions will be covered during the workshop.

We would appreciate a small donation (around 12€) to cover the material costs.
To allow everyone to have hands-on experience on the project, we set the maximum amount of participants to 20.

Facilitators

Alessandro Volpato is a biologist and biohacker located in Berlin, where he’s part of the Biotinkering community. Alessandro joins open-source projects, combining biology skills with hardware-software programming and integrates bio-protocols on modular-drawn devices.
Last year he took part to the Science Hackday Berlin with the “Rock Your Rainbow” project, which was focused on building different DIY spectrometry devices.

REGISTRATION

If you would like to take part to the workshop, please register by filling the form here below and click submit.
You will then recieve additional information and updates about the workshop. Registration will help us to have an idea on how many people will join and to buy enough material for the portable spectrometers.