Davinci’s Sunflowers Painting is one of the most famous and well-known masterpieces in the art world. The simplicity and pure beauty of life which Davinci emphasizes is seen through this painting. Davinci is an inspiration to many artists, leading his work to be modeled by current artists. One artist, inspired by Davinci, decided to recreate “Sunflowers” using something else t
han paint: bacteria. Frederick Hammes, an artist dabbling in microbial art, constructed his work (pictured to the right) by cultivating washroom bacteria as paint to create his masterpiece. Hammes does not restrict himself to only washroom bacteria but explores the different types of bacteria he can cultivate, even using the bacteria from the soles of his feet! Many other artists like Hammes have begun to use the art form of Microbial Art to express their creative and scientific sides.
A combination of Davinci and Dawkins brings the newest form of self and scientific expression: microbial art.
Microbial Art is a form of the new field Bio-Art where the arts mix with the sciences in beautiful patterns and colors from glowing rabbits, artistic prosthetics or: a 3x3 inch painting made of deadly pathogens. Bio-artists involved in Microbial Art take a new spin on the common scientific practice of culturing bacteria to produce magnificent and meaningful works of art.
Microbial Art, also known as agar art, is created in petri dishes, a common instrument every successful pathologist uses. However, now many artists are also tucking these petri dishes under their belt to use as a canvas for their creative and scientific minds.
Agar or Microbial Art is created by culturing or spreading pathogens or micro bacteria in specific designs so when grown will display an image or symbol. The culturing of bacteria is done by trained scientists in controlled laboratory conditions in order to multiply bacteria. This multiplied bacteria is then analyzed by scientists and healthcare professionals to understand more about a disease. When performing microbial art, bio-artists must have knowledge of how bacteria reproduce and spread, as well as the basics of culturing and sterilizing. Depending on what type of bacteria or pathogens a scientist is using, they must be careful in their usage and application of the various tools at their hand.
Culturing Bacteria is a meticulous process for which great patience and attention is required. In real life, scientists culture bacteria in labs to analyze and understand the causes behind symptoms of diseases and discover the most effective treatment. Examples of the application of the culturing of bacteria in real life include : the diagnosis of infection, genetic manipulation, and epidemiologic study. In these broad applications there are various subsets which scientists may explore including : Recombinant protein expression, cell cloning, observation of metabolic activity, etc.
There are various ways to culture bacteria and the internal conditions of the petri dish depend on what the bacteria needs to most efficiently grow. Many species of bacteria require an aerobic culture (oxygenic environment) while others require an anaerobic culture (non-oxygenic environment). Bacteria that cannot grow in the absence of oxygen are called obligate aerobes. Bacteria that cannot grow in the presence of oxygen are called obligate anaerobes. Bacteria that can grow in either environment are called facultative anaerobes.
There are many bacterial culture methods. It is important for bio-artists to use the safest and most practical option for the bacteria that they are using. The bacteria is inoculated into petri dishes filled with agar. Agar powder, derived from seaweed, is mixed with sterilized water inside a petri dish, which then congeals into a solid jelly-like substance. Once the base of agar is set inside the petri dish, scientists inoculate it with bacteria using sterile technique to ensure the bacteria is contained. Additionally, scientists take special care not to cross-contaminate different strains of bacteria to ensure the best analysis of diseases. Bio-artists and scientists often use one specific pathogen or bacteria in their microbial art. This is referred to as a pure or axenic culture where there is only one strain inside the dish without the contamination of other strains of organisms. For bacteria to grow, nutrients are necessary. Culture broth or culture in liquid media, is sometimes placed inside petri dishes so that bacteria can grow and multiply faster. In bio-art this really depends on the preference of the artist and the type of bacteria.
Once the bacteria is inoculated, scientists must wait and observe how well the bacteria is growing. How fast the bacteria will grow and at what stage will a scientist end their observation period is again dependent on the strain of the bacteria and the preference of the scientist. There are many phases of bacterial growth in cultures such as 1) The lag phase, 2) The experimental phase, 3) The stationary phase, and 4) The death phase. Everything that happens in each of these phases of the bacterial growth curve are observed and logged by scientists. The data acquired is then used to form conclusions on the basis of the experiment.
There are several problems which scientists may face when culturing bacteria, the most common and most unsafe being contamination. The contamination of an area could potentially cause illness in people exposed to the pathogen. Depending on where the experiment is being done it can also shut down factories or even industries. Therefore, maintaining sterile technique is extremely important for scientists in the real world and bio-artists.
The approach which bio-artists dabbling in microbial art take on culturing bacteria is very similar. Bio-artists also have to ensure they are using sterile techniques at all times in order to prevent contamination of an area. However, the approach a bio-artist takes on to inoculating bacteria is a bit different. Bio-artists usually culture a singular strain of bacteria in separate petri dishes to obtain a variety of different colors of bacteria they can use as paint. Artists then use this bacteria to paint a certain design onto the agar in a separate petri dish. There are various designs which artists can choose from. They can make their own design or use a previous template. By using a variety of different colors and different designs, bio-artists combine their knowledge of biology and the sciences with their knowledge and hobby of art.
Microbial art is an amazing way to explore passion for the arts as well as the sciences. Artists can get especially creative with their designs, some choosing to paint personified seasons, familiar landscapes or even familiar people. Below are some examples of microbial art where artists have dipped into their creative minds.
Ana Tsitsishvili / ASM Michael V. Magaogao / ASM Michael E. Taveirne / ASM
Art created by microbial artists is not only beautiful but also often thought-provoking. Historically art has been used as a form of activism for various social, economic and political issues. Bio-artists are using microbial art as another form of art activism to raise awareness about issues they care about. Michael V. Magaogao uses his germ art to raise awareness about the dry desert conditions of the middle east. Magaogao used the bacteria which causes many UTI’s to raise awareness about the importance of hydration, especially in hot areas such as the middle east. Magaogao’s germ art and several other examples of art activism promote social awareness of certain issues resulting in progress or change.
Today, the field of bio-art is expanding thanks to greater attention from competitions in agar art. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) hosts an annual competition in which contestants are to make their best agar art masterpiece. There are various categories for this competition including: kids, maker, and a professional category. Although microbial art has been expanding in the past years, it is not a completely new practice. Alexander Flemming, the man who discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin, was known to create paintings using bacteria or germs. Since Flemming’s time, the field of bio-art has significantly expanded and we see more people combining their inner Picasso with their inner Leeuwenhoek.
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