Archive for July 11th, 2007
Biotech Art
“Her Own DNA” – Bacterial Drawings by Hunter O’Reilly
These innovative artworks, rightly called “living drawings” by Internationally shown artist and experienced geneticist Hunter O’ Reilly are created using living bioluminescent bacteria grown in seaweed nutrient agar in petri dishes. When photographed in dark, the bacteria illuminates revealing the art. Bacteria contribute to the art as they grow and eventually perish as nutrients are used up, fading away the drawing. The bioluminescent bacterium creates its own light via expression of the lux genes.
The artist takes advantage of the bacteria growing to equal brightness along the entire line drawing. Regions where most of the bacterial growth occurs die the fastest because there are limited nutrient resources in the seaweed nutrient agar. The seaweed nutrient agar holding limited resources serves as an analogy for how we use resources within individuals, families, communities, and the world. As the bacteria die the drawing changes and slowly fades into complete darkness. (via)
