Co-lab interdisciplinary workshops
Co-lab (コラボ) is a format for creative workshops, a community, and a philosophy for interdisciplinary collaboration. They are open for anyone to replicate with no counterpart.



Acknowledgements
Founders (for workshop authors see workshop pages below)

Juanma Garcia
Life Sciences
Pedagogy

Lena Asai
Design
Humanities

Ke Fang
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Institutional partners (for more partners see workshop pages below)

CRI Paris
Hosting
Funding of several workshops

University College London
Workshop funding

Dr. Brenda Parker (UCL)
Workshop organization and scientific advice

DITOS EU program
Communication and organization of several workshops

Cambridge University
Workshop funding

Tsinghua University
Beijing and Shenzhen workshop funding

Open Plant Fund (Cambridge)
Workshop funding

Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes
Workshop funding microfluidics
Description
We host interdisciplinary workshops with different topics of science (synthetic biology, biomaterials etc.) and different methods of design(design fiction, design thinking etc.).
Each of our events is unique, as it is driven and co-directed with the participants. At the same time, we keep some common principles:
- Horizontality: Our workshops are co-organized by the participants and the mentors together.
- Diversity: We encourage diversity of background, gender, age among the participants to achieve a rich environment.
- Interdisciplinarity: Our workshops use methodologies, lectures and knowledge that belong to several disciplines.
Manifesto
We believe that science and arts are both creative fields of study. Our workshop is a place where artists, designers, and scientists meet to initiate collaboration. We aggregate designers to learn science. We encourage scientists to value and learn artistic approach and design thinking. We bring artists, designers, and scientists together to explore the possibilities of scientific design and designing science.
Interdisciplinarity is a tool to solve complex problems that are beyond the reach of any discipline alone. To be able to do this, many soft-skills need to be developed. However, we believe that they are central to face the challenges of this new world: conceptualization, inter-cultural communication, project-based learning, adaptation, and willingness to learn.
We also believe that 1 + 1 is not equals 2, but sums much more. Being able to exchange knowledge is the most valuable tool that a community can have. Being able to use the skills that we have learned from our field in another discipline makes us valuable.





Documentation: how to make a workshop?
Description on how to make a workshop
Available only on google drive for now


Learning modules
Science practicals
Bacterial heat shock transformation
In silico cloning and protein structure 3D modeling
Extraction of ink from S. coelicolor
Production and processing of Kombucha
Chlorella alginate encapsulation
Scientific references and publishing
Visit to a bio-production plant
Making electricity with plants
Pigment extraction and thin layer chromatography
Project archive
01: Co-lab synbio
Bacterial dialogues
Life on the surface
Colon (:) Common bacterial repository
Bio-shower
LiMe (Living Memory)
DNAish food
Mushroom bottle
02: Co-lab bioweapon
Chrom-air attack
EmoPatch
DNA-proof
03: Co-lab biomaterials (UCL)
AllerGo
Algae desk
Thermochrome
Mushroom-impregnated biodegradable plastic
Living colour
Victoria Amazonica
Algae bike
Milk-to-cheese
Dulse & Gabbana
04: Co-lab biomaterials (Tsinghua)
Kombucha purse
Bacterial films
05: Co-lab Openplant
Synthetic blossoms
The straxberry project
The Friedman show
Do plants feel pain?
Tilealgae
PETall bin
Smell you later
VRICKs
Edible book
06: Co-lab playbio
DM-team
Sticky fluid
Bumshooting Bum Bum
Electronic paint
07: Co-lab bioremediation
Self-irrigate lowtech bioreactor
Bio-bucket chromium bioremediation
Chomaction!
Citizen-lead (Pb) detection
Fungi edu kit
08: Co-lab biomaterial (EPFL)
Feels colors and beyond
Bio-inspired adventure tent
Echo-vision
The book of the infinity
Petin' sound
Workshop editions
01: Co-lab Synthetic Biology (December 2015, London Biohackpace and January 2016, CRI Paris)
02: Co-lab bioweapon (January 2016, Shenzhen Graduate School)
03: Co-lab biomaterials (February 2016, University College London)
04: Co-lab biomaterials (April 2016, Tsinghua University Beijing)
05: Co-lab Openplant (July 2016, University of Cambridge, September-October 2016, John Innes Centre and Cambridge Makespace)
06: Co-lab playbio (October 2016, CRI Paris)
07: Co-lab bioremediation (November 2016, University College London)
08: Co-lab biomaterial (December 2016, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
09: Co-lab bioarch (April 2017, Volumes coworking space)
10: Co-lab microfluidics (July 2017, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes)

