Public: Microbia

A resident of Moscow with the help of a camera and a microscope shows that scenes from the life of the microworld are dramatic, cruel and funny.

Since 2017, the Microbia community has existed on VKontakte. Life under a microscope . " Its founder of Veronika has been leading a blog about the micromir for several years, removing organisms through a microscope and telling subscribers about them. The author of the community accompanies the videos of explanations and sometimes ironic interpretations, like "ciliates spinned in a lonely dance." She takes samples from reservoirs nearby.

TJ talked with Veronika about the public and the technical side of the viderport from the life of microorganisms.

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Tell us where Microbia began? How did public appear?

The blog began quite spontaneously. I had a microscope with the possibility of video setting, and I began to post my observations on the Internet. At first, I thought that they would be interesting to a very narrow circle of people who are also fond of microscopy and micromir, but a fairly wide audience began to subscribe to the blog. And some videos, to my surprise, gained tens of thousands of views.

As for the hobby of the micromyer, it also appeared unexpectedly. I accidentally came across an article about home microscopy, and I thought it was a very interesting hobby. Then I bought my first microscope, and this hobby seized me completely. I had to recall and deepen the knowledge received once on the biofac.

How did you come to the concept of community?

I really like the concept itself: you can watch the wildlife live, sitting in one place in the usual environment.

Scenes from the life of microorganisms in a drop of water from the pond are no less exciting and cruel than a video from some African safari.

What else I like about this hobby is always a present element of the riddle. Taking a sample of water from the pond, you never know who lives there. It is always very interesting and intriguing - to open the secrets of the microworld.

Public appeared back in 2017, but regularly posts began to be released only two years later. What is it connected with?

Yes, before the posts were quite rare. I just had very little free time, and when it was issued, I spent it on what I liked most - on observations, and not on the publication of content. Now there is much more time.

That is, microscopy is your hobby, it is not connected with the current profession? Tell us how the process takes place - for example, collecting samples for study.

Yes, microscopy is a hobby. I have a biological education, but I never worked on this profile and built a career in commercial organizations. At my last work, I was engaged in the development of one of the business areas in a large foreign company. Now I took a pause from work and while resting.

The collection of samples occurs at any opportunity. I always carry small containers with me and take samples if there is a pond or some interesting puddle along the way. I live near the main botanical garden in Moscow, and now most often I take samples there. There are about a dozen reservoirs and each with different microfauna. It is very convenient to combine the collection of samples with a bike rod.

Do you take samples with an eye on specific microorganisms? Or already during the study, you understand what can go on a blog?

It is almost impossible to aim at some microorganisms. In the same pond, shifts of microorganism communities constantly occur, and water samples can be completely different with an interval of several days. Either remarkable microorganisms, or interesting moments from their lives, which are also difficult to predict, and often for me, they are very unexpected and amazing.

How is the video shooting? Is this just one of the built -in functions of the microscope?

Not quite so. To shoot video, you need to connect the camera to the microscope. It can be a special camera for a microscope or a regular camera. It is easier to connect special microscope chambers, but they usually have weak characteristics and a fairly high price for their modest opportunities.

I shoot a video on a regular mirror chamber connected to a microscope using a special adapter purchased on Aliexpress.

This allows you to display the video on the computer screen in real time. I have a trinocular microscope, it allows you to simultaneously shoot and look with two eyes at the drug, which is very convenient.

I noticed that on Instagram you signed an American microblog, about which we wrote . After all, he is also engaged in the removal of the microworld.

Do you mean Hunter Hines? We periodically communicate on Instagram. He specializes in the study of the ecology of certain types of ciliates. I agree that his blog, in general, looks like my public.

Here is your public, there is a blog of Hunter Hines, and I saw a few more people on Picabu, who also show the life of the microworld. What do you think attracts people in this content?

It seems to me that content is interesting primarily in that it allows you to look at the living nature with an extraordinary, hidden side, which people usually do not even think about. We often look at ponds, rivers, fountains and do not think about what is happening in them at the micro-level.

Even I, having a biological education, never suspected how saturated, diverse and interesting the micromy is in ordinary ponds and puddles, and how dramatic scenes can unfold there.

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