Micro-organisms, which are largely unobservable with the naked eye, are an ever-present form of life largely ignored by the general public. Because of their complex biology, ubiquitous presence, and foundational nature within ecosystems, micro-organisms have the potential to be a fascinating topic to be studied by BioClub community members. In this project titled Microcosmos, we will aim to raise awareness to these unseen micro-organisms by sampling known habitats (moss, various water sources, etc) from the environment and visually identifying them using a microscope. So far, we have demonstrated that we can obtain clear photographic and video footage of tartigrades, nematodes, ciliates, and others including unidentified microbes from moss. Furthermore, the data acquired from these experiments have potential uses in research, science communication, and other projects. One goal would be to create a local map and database of the Shibuya microcosmos.
Microcosmos
Project Members: