Powered by Phytoplankton: Grow your own Biosensor to Monitor water quality

Biophotovoltaic DIY Water Quality SensorsJoin us for a hands-on citizen science workshop where biodesign, ecology, and renewable energy meet! Discover how phytoplankton can generate electricity using biophotovoltaic (BPV) systems—living batteries that power DIY water quality sensors.

Together, we'll:

• Build a mini BPV cell that harvests energy from nature

• Test local river water for key environmental indicators

• Co-design floating gardens that combine plants, sensors, and bioelectricity

No prior experience needed—just curiosity and a passion for keeping our waterways healthy! Ideal for families, students, makers, and eco-minded creatives.

📅 Date & Time: 27th September 2025 14:00-17:00

📍 Location: Lifefabs Institute

🎟 Fee: Donation-Based (to cover material cost)

👥 Capacity: 8 participants

Let’s reimagine rivers as living systems we can care for—and learn from—together.

Meet your Instructor

Maria Li is an innovator, biodesigner, and educator with a strong focus on citizen science and impact innovations. Maria is passionate about tinkering with nature-based innovations for regenerative futures. Driven by her fascination for the underwater world, she explores the potential of employing phytoplankton and microalgae in generating bioenergy, environmental sensing, and carbon capture from natural water bodies.

Accessibility Statement:

Lifefabs Institute is committed to ensuring that our events and workshops are as accessible as possible and meet the ever-changing needs of our community. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges of our workshops, we are constantly learning and adjusting our workflows to prioritise accessibility.

We’d love to hear any feedback our community might have.

Please contact us at info@lifefabs.bio if you have any specific accessibility requirements or questions.

Seating:

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at info@lifefabs.bio and we'd be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing info@lifefabs.bio

Support to Attend Our Events & WorkshopsLifefabs Institute may be able to offer financial assistance to enable adults or children to participate in our events and activities if this would otherwise be financially difficult.Please contact our team: info@lifefabs.bio and we will aim to agree a reduction or bursary or wavier your fee free of charge.

About Lifefabs Institute: Community Biofab Lab & Research Space

Lifefabs is an open-access biofabrication space that provides graduates, creatives, schools, communities and scientists access to scientific learning and exchange knowledge around biofabrication.

We want to break down barriers to research and STEAM learning, offering a space to learn, experiment and contribute to our understanding of biomaterials and bioengineering. A space for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, Lifefabs encourages non-scientists, local communities to feel welcome and be curious about Biodesign, promoting accessibility though hands-on community lab.