Biolab
Community Digital Integration & Technology Infrastructure
Research & Operations Technology
- IoT Sensors: Temperature, humidity, soil moisture, light levels throughout microclimate zones
- Weather Station: Local weather tracking for microclimate correlation and growing optimization
- Time-Lapse Documentation: Automated photography for seasonal changes, experiment documentation
- Data Logging: Automated data collection with cloud backup and trend analysis
- Wildlife Monitoring: Motion-activated cameras for beneficial species tracking, bird and insect observation
- Plant Health Tracking: Digital plant passports, growth measurements, propagation success rates
Collaborative Research & Documentation
- Citizen Science Tools: Data collection apps, observation forms, community research participation
- Knowledge Sharing Database: Traditional technique documentation, modern experiment results, troubleshooting guides
- Plant Care Database: Local variety growing guides, seasonal calendars, traditional knowledge integration
- Customer Support System: Plant problem diagnosis tool, care reminders, photo-based consultation requests
- Community Showcase: Customer success stories, project galleries, traditional knowledge documentation
- Ecosystem Literacy & Soil Assessment: Be able to assess its ecological potential, understand what’s growing there, and decide whether to intervene or let nature lead. Traditional knowledge holders have this intuition naturally. We’re creating pathways for urban residents to rebuild this connection.
Coverage by field
Excellently Covered Fields ✅
These fields represent our core competencies where we have deep, systematic coverage across multiple skill domains and practical applications.
Horticulture: Advanced Plant Science & Cultivation
- Systematic Coverage: Advanced propagation methods, tissue culture facilities, plant health diagnostics, comprehensive soil management
- Practical Applications: Seed starting systems, vegetative propagation, grafting mastery, monsoon climate adaptations, plant selection systems
- Integration Across Spaces: Nursery cultivation → Makerspace tool development → Library documentation → Community education
- Revenue Streams: Plant sales, professional services, educational workshops, consultation
- Evidence: Complete propagation workflows, soil testing protocols, traditional knowledge integration, pest management systems
Ecology: Ecosystem Design & Environmental Science
- Systematic Coverage: Complete ecosystem design, wildlife integration, climate adaptation, biodiversity monitoring, environmental data collection
- Practical Applications: Layered forest ecosystems, beneficial insect cultivation, microclimate creation, habitat corridors, citizen science programs
- Integration Across Spaces: Nursery ecosystem → Environmental monitoring equipment → Research documentation → Community science
- Revenue Streams: Ecological consulting, environmental monitoring services, research partnerships
- Evidence: IoT monitoring systems, wildlife habitat design, natural pest management, climate adaptation protocols
Ethnobotany: Traditional Knowledge & Cultural Plant Relationships
- Systematic Coverage: Traditional knowledge preservation, elder documentation, indigenous techniques, cultural plant applications
- Practical Applications: Community consultation protocols, traditional propagation methods, medicinal plant cultivation, cultural landscape design
- Integration Across Spaces: Traditional knowledge documentation → Cultural practice preservation → Community education → Elder knowledge sharing
- Revenue Streams: Cultural consultation, traditional plant sales, educational programming, knowledge preservation services
- Evidence: Elder interview protocols, traditional plant guilds, cultural ceremony integration, indigenous technique documentation
Well-Covered Fields Needing Enhancement 🟡
These fields have strong practical coverage but could benefit from more systematic formalization and theoretical grounding.
Applied Permaculture Design: Ecological Systems Thinking
- Current Coverage: Food forest development, plant guilds, zone planning principles, closed-loop systems, water management
- Practical Applications: Layered ecosystem design, beneficial relationships, succession planning, natural resource cycling
- Enhancement Opportunities: Formal permaculture design certification, systematic ethics integration, professional design methodology
- Integration Potential: Could formalize existing ecological design work under established permaculture framework
Landscape Architecture: Spatial Design & Infrastructure
- Current Coverage: Garden design philosophy, microclimate creation, spatial planning, cultural design integration, site assessment
- Practical Applications: Site evaluation, plant-site matching, design documentation, seasonal planning, infrastructure integration
- Enhancement Opportunities: Professional design credentials, technical drawing systems, client communication protocols
- Integration Potential: Current garden design work essentially is landscape architecture - needs professional recognition
Botany: Plant Science & Classification
- Current Coverage: Plant identification, botanical illustration, herbarium creation, plant documentation, species research
- Practical Applications: Systematic plant health diagnosis, regional plant database development, botanical art forms
- Enhancement Opportunities: Formal taxonomic training, plant physiology education, systematic classification methods
- Integration Potential: Strong practical foundation ready for academic/scientific formalization
Agriculture: Food Production & Soil Management
- Current Coverage: Food production systems, soil science, composting, seasonal cultivation, traditional farming methods
- Practical Applications: Vegetable cultivation, fruit tree management, soil testing, natural amendments, succession planting
- Enhancement Opportunities: Large-scale farming techniques, crop rotation systems, yield optimization methods
- Integration Potential: Current small-scale work could scale to community agriculture programs
Minimally Covered Fields with High Potential ⚡
These fields have limited current coverage but represent strategic opportunities for expansion that would significantly enhance our capabilities.
Mycology: Fungal Systems & Soil Microbiomes
- Current Coverage: Basic mushroom cultivation, mycorrhizal networks, beneficial fungi mentions
- Expansion Opportunities: Comprehensive fungi cultivation, soil microbiome management, decomposer network design, food production
- Strategic Value: Critical for soil health, closed-loop systems, food production, ecosystem completion
- Implementation Path: Expand from basic mushroom production → soil fungi management → comprehensive mycological systems
Conservation Biology: Biodiversity & Genetic Preservation
- Current Coverage: Native species focus, biodiversity monitoring, habitat creation, seed collection
- Expansion Opportunities: Genetic diversity protocols, population management, conservation planning, seed banking systems
- Strategic Value: Essential for regional plant platform vision, genetic preservation, conservation leadership
- Implementation Path: Systematize current conservation work → formal protocols → regional conservation hub
Agroecology: Regenerative Agriculture Systems
- Current Coverage: Some regenerative practices, soil building, integrated pest management, traditional methods
- Expansion Opportunities: Formal agroecological principles, farm-scale applications, community agriculture systems
- Strategic Value: Bridges ecology and agriculture, supports community food security, demonstrates sustainable farming
- Implementation Path: Formalize current practices → scale to community level → demonstration and education hub
Phytochemistry: Plant Compounds & Traditional Medicine
- Current Coverage: Traditional medicinal plants, natural pest control compounds, plant preparation methods
- Expansion Opportunities: Plant compound extraction, scientific analysis, traditional knowledge validation, natural product development
- Strategic Value: Validates traditional knowledge, creates value-added products, supports medicinal plant work
- Implementation Path: Document traditional preparations → basic analysis → compound identification → product development
Future Development Fields 🔮
These fields represent longer-term opportunities that would complement our existing work and support broader community development goals.
Urban Ecology: City Ecosystem Dynamics
- Relevance: Urban heat islands, air quality, green infrastructure, neighborhood ecosystem health
- Integration: Complements hyperlocal focus, environmental monitoring, community science work
Hydrology: Water Systems Science
- Relevance: Monsoon management, water harvesting, watershed planning, climate adaptation
- Integration: Supports water feature design, climate resilience, traditional water management
Soil Science (Formal Discipline): Advanced Soil Systems
- Relevance: Professional soil analysis, advanced testing, soil chemistry, microbiome research
- Integration: Formalizes existing soil work, supports advanced growing systems, enables consultation services
Experiment ideas
Rainwater Harvesting Pilots
- Install demonstration rainwater collection systems
- Test different materials and methods suitable for local climate
- Document water quality and storage challenges
- Share successful designs for community replication
- Fiber: Build, Research, Service | Space: Makerspace, Nursery | Timeline: Pre-monsoon installation → Annual efficiency analysis
Composting System Experiments
- Deploy various composting methods appropriate for different housing types
- Document maintenance requirements, output quality, odor management
- Train community members in compost management
- Connect compost output to local urban farming initiatives
- Fiber: Build, Service, Working Groups | Space: Makerspace, Nursery | Timeline: 6-month pilot → Community-wide scaling
Community Gardens & Native Plants
- Identification and cultivation of indigenous Assamese plants
- Design and installation of native pollinator gardens
- Seed collection and sharing for community gardening
- Community education about local plant ecology and conservation
- Fiber: Research, Build, Service | Space: Nursery, All outdoor spaces | Timeline: Annual planting seasons with multi-year establishment
DIY Cultivation Experiments
Home-Scale Tissue Culture
- DIY sterile setup: Using pressure cookers, alcohol lamps, and mason jars for sterile propagation
- Affordable equipment: Building tissue culture capability with makerspace tools and household items
- Documentation focus: Recording successes and failures for community learning
- Gradual scaling: Starting simple, adding complexity as knowledge and confidence grow
Controlled Environment Experiments
- DIY grow lights: Building LED systems using maker skills and electronics knowledge
- Mini climate chambers: Repurposing old refrigerators and aquariums for controlled growing
- Temperature control: Simple heating/cooling systems using thermostats and fans
- Humidity management: Humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and natural humidity zones
- Monitoring systems: Arduino/Raspberry Pi sensors tracking environmental conditions
Water-Based Growing Systems
- Simple hydroponics: Basic nutrient film and deep water culture setups
- Aquaponics experiments: Small-scale fish and plant integration
- Vertical growing: DIY tower systems using PVC pipes and recycled materials
- Propagation stations: Misting systems built with sprinkler parts and timers
- Natural systems: Comparing artificial vs natural growing methods side by side
Experimental Research Program
Comparative Growing Studies
- Traditional vs modern: Side-by-side comparisons of techniques
- Local vs imported varieties: Testing which plants thrive locally
- Seasonal adaptation: How plants respond to Guwahati’s climate cycles
- Soil composition experiments: Testing different growing media
- Integrated pest management: Combining traditional and modern approaches
Climate Adaptation Research
- Monsoon resilience: Which plants handle extreme rainfall
- Heat tolerance: Summer survival strategies for different species
- Humidity adaptation: Plants that thrive in high humidity
- Flooding recovery: How plants recover from waterlogged conditions
- Drought tolerance: Dry season survival techniques
Community Science Program
- Customer experiments: Customers test techniques at home and report back
- Data collection: Systematic recording of what works and what doesn’t
- Knowledge sharing: Regular meetups to share results and learnings
- Problem-solving network: Community troubleshooting plant issues
- Innovation documentation: Recording new techniques and discoveries
Urban Ecosystem Laboratory Features
Wind & Weather Monitoring
- Living wind indicators: Plants arranged to show wind direction and strength
- Weather tracking stations: Monitoring microclimatic conditions
- Plant response observation: How plants react to weather changes
- Microclimate mapping: Understanding different zones within the space
- Seasonal pattern documentation: Recording yearly cycles and changes
Solar Optimization Tools
- Shadow mapping: Understanding light patterns throughout the day
- Plant positioning guides: Optimal placement for different light needs
- Seasonal adjustment systems: Moving plants as sun angles change
- Light measurement stations: Quantifying light levels in different areas
- Growth optimization: Using solar data to maximize plant health
Microclimate Creation Throughout Space
Whole-Space Microclimate Zones:
Zone 1: Tropical Forest (High Humidity)
- Dense canopy creating cool, humid understory (80-90% humidity)
- Constant water features, misting systems, moss-covered surfaces
- Suitable for ferns, orchids, tropical foliage, and forest birds
Zone 2: Sunny Meadow (Dry & Bright)
- Open areas with full sun, good airflow, lower humidity (40-60%)
- Native grasses, wildflowers, butterfly-attracting plants
- Ideal for pollinators, sun-loving birds, beneficial insects
Zone 3: Woodland Edge (Mixed Conditions)
- Transitional zone between forest and meadow
- Partial shade, moderate humidity (60-70%)
- Diverse plant community supporting various wildlife
Zone 4: Wetland Areas (High Moisture)
- Integration with main water systems infrastructure for bog plants
- Aquatic insects, amphibians, water-loving bird species
Micro-Microclimate Experiments:
- Stone heat sinks: Rocks that absorb and release heat creating warm pockets
- Moss microclimates: Small ultra-humid zones around moss-covered features
- Wind tunnels: Channeled airflow creating specific microclimates
- Shade gradients: Fine-tuned light levels for different plant communities
- Seasonal pockets: Areas that dramatically change with monsoon/dry cycles
Experiments with plants
- Musical plants, mushroom music, touch leaf of plant to triffer different sound visualizations etc etc