BioMatsuri 2021

# Artificial Cells

GOALS

  • Learn how to do Spherification

# Kit Content

  • Calcium Lactate 2g
  • Sodium Alginate 2g
  • Food Colors
  • Droppers
  • Paper Cups
  • Clear Plastic Cups
  • Yeast

# Preparation

Please prepare the following 1 DAY BEFORE the workshop:

Mix 2g Sodium Alginate with 100ml Water

  • Use a empty 500ml PET bottle
  • Add 100ml Water
  • Add 2g Sodium Alginate
  • Shake and Mix well

The Sodium Alginate and Water will take time to mix properly. Let it rest overnight.

# Background

# Protocol

Make sure the Sodium Alginate and Water mixtures is well mixed. It should have a consistency like honey.

# Make Color Alginate Solution

  1. Pour ca. 20ml of Alginate in a Paper Cup
  2. Add Food Coloring
  3. Mix well

Repeat for each color.

# Make Calcium Lactate Solution

  1. Add ca 150ml Water to a Clear Plastic Cup
  2. Add ca 1g of Calcium Lactate

The Calcium Lactate should dissolve in the water quickly. If you can not measure 1g, add ca. half a teaspoon.

# Spherification Protocol

  1. Take some Alginate with a dropper
  2. Drip it into the Calcium Lactate Solution

The Alginate and the Calcium are gelling, creating a sphere.

WARNING

Do not put the dropper into the Calcium Lactate mix. If you do, discard the dropper and take a new one.

Challenge

  • How small can you make the spheres?
  • How big can you make the spheres?
  • Can you make long snakes?
  • What happens if you leave the Alginate in the Calcium for a long time?

Alginate and Calcium is food-safe, feel free to touch it. And try to press it!

# Encapsulation Experiments

In the last step we create empty cells, wouldn't it be great to add something to the cells? In Molecular Cuisine different food and flavours are added to the Alginate before the Spherification.

Let's add something that grows.

  1. Add Yeast (and little big of sugar) to Alginate.
  2. Mix well.

Do the Spherification.

Observe the yeast spheres. In the right conditions, they should grow and expand.