Wednesday, May 27, 2009

M.O.L.D. Bioindicator Incubation Update - Angels Gate

Bioindicator #46

M - Ezekiel organic sprouted wheat
D - Van de Camps wheat bread
F - Ralph's Bakery San Francisco Sourdough
S - 
Cinnabon Raisin bread 


Bioindicator #41

C - Ezekiel organic sprouted wheat
F - 
Weber's enriched white bread
S - 
Cinnabon Raisin bread 



Bioindicator #33
E - Van de Camps wheat bread
Q - Ralph's Bakery San Francisco Sourdough
C - Weber's enriched 
white bread


Bioindicators are  living species used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem. They are any biological species or group of species whose function, population, or status can be used to determine ecosystem or environmental integrity. Such organisms are monitored for changes (biochemical, physiological, or behavioral) that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem. Bioindicators can tell us about the cumulative effects of different pollutants in the ecosystem and about how long a problem may have been present, which physical and chemical testing cannot.

M.O.L.D. workshop participants will build their own bioindicators using common airborne mold to assess the quality of various bread samples. FS believes that food with less additives, preservatives, and/or related genetic modification will demonstrate more accelerated mold growth. 

The food hosts for this experiment will be various breads ranging from certified organic to highly processed. Workshop participants will choose from 110 food-related government agencies for the subject of their bioindicator. The initials from the chosen government agency will be surgically carved out of various bread samples. Each participant will create two identical bioindicators, one to remain in the installation and the other to be taken by participant.