Community Biology at Splat Space

Splat Space is a community lab where you can get hands-on with molecular biology, microbiology, and biotech without needing a university lab or a company behind you. Whether you’re just getting started or working on your own idea, this is a place to try things, ask questions, and make progress.

The lab is fully integrated into Splat Space, so you have access to a wider makerspace alongside a growing biology setup. We run workshops, casual meetups, and collaborative projects, but a lot of the value comes from people just showing up and building things together.

You’ll find people here working on everything from basic lab skills—like pipetting and running gels—to more open-ended projects in community science, bio art, and early-stage biotech ideas.

Are you building something in biotech, chemistry, or applied science?

If you’re an entrepreneur, the space can also function as a lightweight starting point. You can receive shipments from scientific suppliers directly to the lab, use shared equipment and reagents, and start testing ideas without needing to build out your own lab first. We have a collection of shared reagents and small budget to order widely applicable reagents, kits, and related materials.

Everything we do operates within BSL1 guidelines – mammalian cell work, BSL2+, and APHIS regulated work is not allowed. Use of the lab requires safety training and waste disposal training.

If you’re curious, come by, meet people, and see what’s happening.

Valonia ventricosa (Bubble Algae)

Valonia ventricosa is the largest single-celled organism in the world. Each green “bubble” you see is a single cell. You can hold it in your hand and feel the strength of the cell wall. We believe that Bubble Algae can make biology more tangible. Imagine a high school lab class where the students named their cells! This is an incredible future we are hoping to make a reality.

At Splat Space, we’re not just observing Valonia — we’re trying to understand how to grow it, work with it, and explore what it can do. This project is open-ended and hands-on: culturing algae, testing growth conditions, and experimenting with ways to interact with a cell that’s big enough to actually manipulate.

There’s also a bigger idea behind it. Because of its size and internal structure, Valonia might be useful as a kind of living bioreactor —a place to store molecules, run reactions, or explore new ways of doing biology. We believe it is possible to physically inject chemicals into the Valonia central vacuole. Pair this with heterologous gene expression, and suddenly Valonia can perform chemistry on substrates that are not accessible to other Biotech Chassis. We’re still early, but that’s what makes it interesting.

Project Aims:

1. Establish long term maintenance protocols and growth optimization protocols.
2. Publish the first genomic sequence for the Valonia genus.
3. Establish the first Proof of Concept study showing Valonia Ventricosa can be genetically engineered.

Video of Valonia Propagation

This video shows a mature Valonia ventricosa cell being opened, revealing hundreds of smaller daughter cells inside. Rather than dividing externally, Valonia can asexually reproduce new cells, making reproduction visible at a scale you can see with the naked eye.

When Valonia Ventricosa is stressed, their many nuclei begin forming into individual cells. Collections of cells are held together in rafts via a gel-like mucus that will degrade over time.

The Community Biology Lab is a BSL1 space. BSL2+ and APHIS regulated lab work is not permitted.

Members have access to communal lab equipment. A full list is available upon request.

• Pipettes
• Biosafety Cabinet
• UV-vis nanodrop
• Cuvette Spectrophotometer
• PCR equipment
• Stationary and shaking incubators
• Centrifuge
• pH Meter
• Conductance Meter
• Precision Scale
• Plant Grow Tent + Lighting
• Algae Grow Tent + Lighting

Cost

The Biology Space is included with access to the Splat Space.

Communal Equipment, Reagents, and Consumables are available at no cost. And members may request general and widely applicable reagents to be purchased from the lab budget. For example, if the space has run out of LB powder. Project specific reagents and consumables will need to be purchased at the members expense.

Please visit http://www.tridiybio.org for more information.