Blob Discovery Kit

The kit for conducting a real project. Nine Petri dishes, enough to start several cultures in parallel and subculture to your heart's content — and four experiments, including two that come with their own setup inside the box. You're no longer just watching the blob: you're asking it questions.

What's in the box

• ×2 dormant sclerotia of the strain of your choice — 1 extra, just in case
• ×9 sterile Petri dishes: 4 × 60 mm (waking up and subculturing) · 5 × 90 mm (the experiments)
• ×6 doses of laboratory-grade agar — 1 dose = 2 × 90 mm dishes (or 3 × 60 mm dishes), to be diluted in 55 mL of boiling water and poured to a 4 mm depth
• ×20 g organic rolled oats
• ×1 U-trap
• ×2 vials of dye — 1 blue (E133) + 1 red (E122)
• ×8 precision tools: precision tweezers, standard spatula, wide spatula, pipette (for dosing the dye), and ×4 cookie cutters Ø 1.8 cm — one per experiment
• ×4 filter papers Ø 90 mm — for re-sclerotizing your blob when you want to put it on pause
• ×5 printed protocol sheets — keeping it alive · choice · the U-trap · colored diffusion · the optimal network

Your four included experiments

1. The choice

Two foods, same distance: which one does the blob reach first? The sheet tells you what to grab from your kitchen and how to place the two doses so the comparison is fair.

2. The U-trap

Food is placed behind a U-shaped obstacle. The blob leaves a chemical trail in its path, which helps it avoid going over the same spot twice — and exit the trap. The setup is in the box. Smith-Ferguson, J., Reid, C.R., Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2017), Journal of Physics D.

3. Colored diffusion

A micro-drop of dye, blue on one side, red on the other, and the blob's network of veins becomes visible: you can see the cytoplasm moving back and forth inside, the two colors crossing and sometimes meeting in the same vein. This is the most spectacular experiment to photograph. Both vials are in the box.

4. The optimal network

Several oat flakes placed in a pattern (triangle, star...) on the agar. The blob connects the sources through an efficient network — not the shortest one possible, but a compromise between total length and robustness. This is the principle that made Physarum famous. Nakagaki, T., Iima, M. et al. (2007), Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

And if you want the full experience: the Blob Lab Kit goes up to 8 experiments and adds the labyrinth, the strain race, and the Tokyo network — with free shipping within France.

Why nine dishes

The count isn't arbitrary: 4 × 60 mm dishes for waking it up and subculturing — the essential task that keeps a blob alive — and 5 × 90 mm dishes for the experiments: one per trial, plus one extra in case one doesn't work out.

And with your 6 doses of agar, you can re-pour everything a second time.

Choose your blob strain

• Major Tom — Our star strain: the Physarum polycephalum sent to the International Space Station by CNES with Thomas Pesquet (2021). Bright yellow, vigorous network. Perfect for beginners.
• Australian Physarum polycephalum — An isolate of the same species, from the other hemisphere. Just as fascinating.

Same price, your choice — the strain does not change the cost.

Who is this kit for?

• Children aged 7+ who want to conduct experiments, not just watch
• Families who want a project to work on together over several weeks
• Curious adults who devour science popularization channels
• Teachers who want to test four protocols before bringing them to a class
• Science content creators — colored diffusion is the most photogenic

Our guarantees

• ✓ 100% wake-up guaranteed — if nothing happens after 7 days using the protocol, we will send you a replacement sclerotium for free.
• ✓ Shipment within 24 business hours
• ✓ Cultivated in France
• ✓ 14-day return policy in accordance with our Terms and Conditions
• ✓ Safe — Physarum polycephalum is not associated with any human infection in scientific literature, and is not on any European regulatory list of hazardous biological agents. No allergens or toxicity known to date.
• ✓ One extra 90 mm dish — to redo an experiment that didn't go as planned

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference compared to the other kits?

Everything is counted in experiments: the Solo 0 (2 dishes) · the Classic 2 (4 dishes, dyes) · the Discovery Blob Kit 4 (9 dishes, + U-trap and optimal network) · the Lab 8 (19 dishes, + labyrinth, strain race, and Tokyo network, free shipping within France).

What if my blob doesn't wake up?

The kit contains an extra sclerotium, specifically for this purpose. If both fail, we will send you a replacement sclerotium for free. Complete troubleshooting guide.

From what age can you adopt a blob?

From 7 years old with an adult, 10 years old independently. No sharp objects in the kit.

Are the dyes dangerous?

p>No. They are laboratory-grade dyes — a blue E133 and a red E122 — used as visual markers to trace the blob's cytoplasmic flow. ⚠️ They are not intended for consumption: you place a micro-drop on the blob for the experiment, not on food. Keep out of reach of very young children; washable with water.

Can I schedule delivery for a specific date?

Yes, email us at hello@blobfarm.com specifying the desired date.

To go further

• How to wake up a sclerotium in 48h, step by step
• Blob Lab Kit — the 8 experiments, the labyrinth, the strain race, and the Tokyo network
• 10 fascinating facts about the blob

The kit for conducting a real project.