CUBE ChatShaala Summary – 18/09/2025
Today’s ChatShaala brought together two fascinating streams of inquiry: Moina culture studies and Cardamine growth experiments.
Kashyap’s Moina Studies
Kashyap has started experiments with Moina cultures, using 750 ml glass bottles as containers. The discussion traced the journey of this culture back to March 2024, when Moina was introduced through a workshop at NES Runtnam College, facilitated by Abijith. A highlight was the development of a self-sustainable Moina culture in Sakshi’s homelab, showing how simple household setups can maintain scientific inquiry.
Collaborative links were also emphasized, with Sneha’s team (Vaishnavi and Nisha) contributing significantly to the effort.
Cardamine’s Story by Sneha
Sneha presented her observations from 10 September 2025, where she collected 30 Cardamine plants from VG Vaze Kelkar College, Mulund. The plants were distributed into three experimental setups:
- Set A: 2 plants
- Set B: 10 plants
- Set C: 10 plants
This arrangement opens the door to studying plant density effects, growth competition, and possible survival strategies in varying conditions.
What I Learned
- Small-scale, home-based experiments (like Sakshi’s Moina culture) can grow into long-term, sustainable models of citizen science.
- Even a common plant like Cardamine can raise ecological and experimental questions when systematically studied.
- Collaboration across colleges and individuals strengthens the scientific network, helping transfer knowledge and resources.
TINKE Moments (This I Never Knew Earlier)
- Moina cultures do not always require lab-grade setups; 750 ml glass bottles at home labs can be sufficient.
- Systematic tracking of origin (March 2024 workshop → Abijith → Kashyap) reveals how knowledge and organisms move across communities.
- Plant density (2 vs. 10 Cardamine plants) can become a simple but powerful way to ask questions about competition and resource use.
Gaps and Misconceptions
- The group needs clarity on what “self-sustainable” truly means in Moina cultures—is it food source independence, reproduction rate, or long-term viability without intervention?
- For Cardamine, control conditions were not discussed in detail (e.g., soil type, light, or watering consistency). Without these, conclusions on density effects may remain limited.
Provocative Questions for the Community
1. Moina in a Bottle!
Can a 750 ml glass bottle truly become a mini-ecosystem for sustaining Moina long-term? What factors decide whether such a setup thrives or crashes?
2. Crowded Plants, Hidden Secrets!
Why might 10 Cardamine plants in one container behave differently from 2 plants? Is competition always harmful, or can it sometimes help growth?
3. Citizen Science Pathways!
How does a small transfer (like Abijith’s Moina from a workshop) grow into a network of home experiments? What does this tell us about spreading science beyond formal labs?
Inspired by today’s discussions, you can explore more in the shared reflections here:Self-sustainable Moina culture in Sakshi’s Homelab by Theertha M.D.
@Arunan, @sakshiconsultant2002, @Chitralekha, @dhanraj7, @SN1261, @akanksha, @2020ugchsncnseethala, and others.