UF FRAMING ECOLOGY: Marnelli Final Project: Connecting Cultures

Collection:

Kombucha

SCOBY

Sourdough starter
Yogurt (not used)
Kimchi (not used)

I'm not the greatest at photography, but this is what I was able to set up.

Connecting Cultures

The idea behind my project is to showcase the ecosystem within our bodies and how the microbes involved mirror humans that are part of a larger ecosystem and form communities and cultures of their own. Jewelry was used to display the microbes not only as decorative use, but for tying another tangible item to a civilization's history. As you wear the jewelry, millions of microbes that built up a relationship with each other are preserved and are used to bridge a community within us to one formed outside in the world.

Note: Although there are many countries that have their respective fermented dishes, I modeled the jewelry after ones seen in Chinese and Filipino cultures as they are my backgrounds.

Fermented materials used/considered were all made by me beginning in late December/early January.

篦 Bi (Chinese Hair Comb)

Earrings (modeled after traditional
Chinese earrings)

Earrings (modeled after traditional
Filipino earrings)

Filipino Peineta/Payneta (Hair Comb)

"Flashcards" with Information

fermentation

a metabolic process in which an
organism converts a carbohydrate
(starch or sugar) into an alcohol or
acid

s.c.o.b.y.

symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast

health

The microbes in fermented foods provide
probiotics that can balance the gut flora
in the gastrointestinal tract, aiding in immune
system support, reducing inflammation,
and relieving gastrointestinal ailments

community

interacting group of various species
in a common location
-----
Many of these foods are made in large batches with
a group of friends or family as an activity
to foster togetherness

7,000-6,000 b.c.

First signs of fermented foods across
many nations.

culture

method of multiplying microbial organisms
in a growth medium under controlled
laboratory settings.

A Little About the Microbes

Zygosaccharomyces komnuchaenis (kombucha yeast)

I convert sucrose to ethanol

Lactobacillus brevis (sourdough bacteria)

I produce lactic acid which gives sourdough its signature
"sour" and tangy flavor

Komagataebacter xylinus (kombucha bacteria)

I produce cellulose which gives kombucha scoby its gelatinous texture

Candida humilis (sourdough yeast)

I produce carbon dioxide gas that leavens the bread

Plate at the top with streaks was the one successful attempt at growing the microbes in kombucha. By the looks of the colonies, I believe it is a yeast. Plate at the bottom has raw