Page 94 - 2023/24 Kaleidoscope Volume9

4. Can you brieflff y introduce the steps in creating the model?

Eugene: The fiff rst feff w days, we gathered ideas and did some research regarding the

algae we were interested in building. We then did the model on a stage foff rm with
some components on the side. The model was quite large, having a semi-
transparent material used foff r the membrane. But in the process of doing so, we

unfoff rtunately faff iled on our fiff rst try. However on the next day, we tried again
using recycled material and clay foff r the structure. The fiff nal step was spraying

water-proof spray onto the model, just in case it rained and we were stuck outside
with no protection over our model. We did not want to risk any accidents.

Xiao Yi: Due to the inherent clarity and transparency of Noctiluca scintillans, we
opted to employ transparent gel wax as the primary material. So, our general

steps involved melting and shaping transparent gel wax, adding liquid dye when
necessary. We used brown liquid dye foff r the nucleus. The same materials and
method were used foff r the foff od vacuole and endosymbiotic algae, which were

coloured green respectively. We retained the gas bubbles naturally produced
during the moulding process to represent gas vacuoles. By puncturing the gel wax
with a satay stick, we created cytoplasmic strands and scintiillllons. In this step , we

placed some flff uorescent powder into the gel wax to indicate the bioluminescent
light of Noctiluca scintillans. So, when exposed to suffff iff cient UV light, our model
emits light in the dark. The tentacles and flff agella were constructed using flff exible

translucent PVC tubing and fiff shing line.

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