Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Into the Blue
for transdisciplinary learning
Description
Objectives
The “Into de blue” pilot course aims to promote a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and a transdisciplinary view of topics, using the color blue as a case study.
The course encourages students to explore the different facets of the color blue in art, science, and society, looking not only at the past but also at the future.
The students will discuss and experiment with new scientific developments in pigment production and use, such as bacteria with and without genetic modifications.
The proposed approach builds conceptual and practical skills, at different levels, in students from science, art, and humanities backgrounds. Furthermore, creative exercises can lead to the development of competencies to explore possible and alternative scenarios in arts and literature.
The following general objectives can be listed:
- Emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary setups for the production of new knowledge
- Develop a collaboration environment in multidisciplinary teams;
- Enhance the complementarity of background dialogue and stimulate interdisciplinary communication
- Highlight the importance of scientific and technological development in art and society.
- Explore the social-cultural implications of technologies
- Highlight the importance of considering social-cultural impact in scientific and technological development
- A critical and artistic exploration of scientific topics
- Familiarise students with concepts, core problems, and basic knowledge inherent to color
- Familiarise students with concepts, core problems, and basic knowledge inherent to genetic modification using bacteria
- Give students insights into different fields of practices
Learning outcomes & competences
- Understand the complex history of color in culture and art
- Learn about the history and chemistry of blue pigments
- Explore color and pigments in nature
- Learn the theory and practice of cyanotype
- Acquisition of creative skills through divergent thinking, speculative design, and storytelling
- Learn basic concepts about bacteria, particularly Streptomyces coelicolor
- Learn how to cultivate and grow Streptomyces
- Explore the potential of pigments produced by Streptomyces coelicolor
- Learn fundamental concepts on genetics, gene editing, and molecular biology
- Understand concepts such as gene, genome, DNA, RNA, protein, plasmid, E. coli transformation, conjugation, CRISP-R
- To acquire (and/or deepen) laboratory skills in molecular biology and DNA, and RNA manipulation, specifically for gene editing
- Training on hands-on activities in Molecular Biology of Gene Editing
- Understand the basis of scientific thinking
- Learn how to implement transdisciplinary collaborations
- Understand the impact of new scientific development on the future of color
Program / contents
- Colour Theory
- Blue Pigments timeline
- Blue: History and cultural significance
- Blue in Art
- Blue: Symbolism and meaning
- Blue color and pigments in nature
- Cyanotype Impressions: theory and practice
- Bacteria: basic concepts
- An introduction to Streptomyces coelicolor
- How to cultivate and grow bacteria in the lab
- Using bacteria to paint and dye textiles in blue
- Basic concepts of molecular biology: DNA, protein, genes, RNA
- Introduction to gene edition
- Introduction to lab practices in gene editing
- CRISPR: how does it work
- sgRNA Design for the blue knockout
- CRISP-R gene editing with CRISP-R in bacteria: theory and practice
- Exercises in creative thinking and ideation
- Critical and creative thinking
- Project development
Teaching methods & learning activities
The classes of this course will be theoretical and practical, articulating:
- Expositive classes
- Development of practical projects
- Hands-on Lab Work experience
- Individual and collective discussion
- Autonomous research
- Multidisciplinary reflection and discussion
- Engagement and discussion with experts in diverse areas
- Critical thinking and reflection
- Design Thinking
- Storytelling
- Basic setups for facilitating transdisciplinary collaborations
