September is all about microbes in motion
This month, you will discover how microbes perceive the world around them. Microbes also move; for example, they need to search for food and an environment where the living conditions are favorable. Humans orient themselves, for instance, through our nose, eyes, ears, and our vestibular system. Microbes often lack these. So, how do microbes know which direction to go?
The microbe of the month for September is Physarum polycephalum, also known as the slime mold. This mold doesn't have a brain but is quite ingenious. It relies on chemical signals and even has a unique form of memory. It "remembers" where it has been before and then avoids those paths. This way, the slime mold can navigate through a maze, for example.
| When | every day |
| Where | in front of the lab |
| What time | 1 pm, 4 pm |