Molecules of Life

Motilin

The Molecules of Life Project flows creatively with Motilin. Monday, the 15th October in Mrs Grant’s second grade class at Oxford Elementary School, thanks to the Motilin Maidens, Becka Viau (BA, NSCAD) and Karen Schurman (BSc SMU), all eyes were drawn into the intestine as hands squeezed mimicking the peristalsis motion of the digestive tube. [...]

Bradykinin

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006, Halifax, NS, 2nd graders captured a Jararaca snake in Brazil as they were transported to 1949 and the event of the discovery of Bradykinin, thanks to Stephanie Melanson (BSc DAL) and Emmelyne Pornillos (MDes NSCADU). All were intrigued as Emmelyne traced the silhouette of a volunteer student on a large piece [...]

Vasopressin

Friday, November 24th, 2006, Halifax, NS, 2nd graders grasped their kidneys and learned about vasopressin, thanks to an impressive performance by three MLP students Katie Nizio (BSc SMU), Anna Sprague (MFA Concordia) and Cody Stephenson (MFA NSCAD). Starting out with basic questions about water its importance in the body, particularly in blood, Katie brought us [...]

Angiotensin

The Molecules of Life Project feels its blood pressure rise with Angiotensin Wednesday the 15th November in Mrs Grant’s second grade class at Oxford Elementary School, Amy Trottier (BSc DAL) was asked to pump up the peptide jam solo. Providing a solid background on the circulatory system and that most important muscle the heart, Amy [...]

Ink Composition and Chromatography

July 1, 2014 in Chemistry of Art

Molecules of Life and l’École de Manga Japonais de Montreal (The Montreal Manga School) teamed up to teach sixth grade students at Stanislas School in Montreal on the 15 of May 2014 about ink and inking.

After receiving a brief introduction on the history of Manga by designer and manga artist Azusa Matsumoto, the students were instructed in the compositions of ink. Although some ink is water soluble and can be washed off with soap and water, others are not soluble in water, such as the Indian Ink used in making Manga. To see the difference between such inks, the students performed an experiment using paper chromatography and observed that their water-soluble markers gave spots which migrated up the paper and even separated into various colored components. On the other hand, the insoluble Indian ink spot stayed where it was first spotted, on the base line.

Warned on the challenges of washing off Indian ink, the students were next given opportunity to try different inking techniques commonly used by manga artists. In addition, they learned how to transfer images such that they could someday ink their own favorite cartoons.

Everyone was delighted to learn about manga and the composition of ink from experimenting with paper chromatography and inking techniques care of Molecule of Life and The Montreal Manga School.