Hydrogel support

Supports the hydrogel that will be inoculated with the sorted microalgal cultures. Over time, students can observe shifts in colour and position between their samples, revealing differences in algal health, growth stage, and species-specific pigmentation. The microalgae-inoculated hydrogel becomes a shared class emblem, evolving visually over the full lifecycle of the algae.

How to build it

1. Prepare the hydrogel Mix the ingredients and let the hydrogel set inside the mold for at least 30 minutes before inoculating.  Mold STL files on GitHub
2. Remove the lid Carefully remove the lid to expose the hydrogel with the inoculation plots.
3. Assemble Connect the hydrogel base to the bottom of the sorting modules.