ASM’s 5th Agar Art Contest Showcases the Beauty of Microbes with Original Bioart
Washington, D.C. - November 20, 2019 - The American Society for Microbiology announces the winners of their 5th annual Agar Art Contest. Submissions of artwork were created using living, growing microbes ‘painted’ on agar, a gelatin-like substance that serves as food for the microorganisms. ASM’s Agar Art Contest began in 2015 and merges science with art to engage the public with microbiology and highlight the beauty and diversity of the microbial world.
A panel of scientists and bioartists judged a record-breaking 347 entries from 415 artists in 43 different countries and 22 U.S. states. The judges assessed entries based on their creativity, artistry of design, the scientific accuracy of their description, and their accessibility to a general audience.
"Seemingly Simple Elegance," created by Arwa Hadid, an undergraduate student at Oakland University, won first place in the Professional category. The artwork depicts a Koi fish and a lotus flower using nine different organisms to bring the picture to life.
The winner of the People’s Choice Award is "Hungarian Folk Art," by Zita Pöstényi, Microbiologist at SYNLAB Hungary Ltd, which uses Escherichia coli (pink), Enterococcus faecalis (turquoise) Acinetobacter junii (yellow) Klebsiella pneumoniae (blue) and Citrobacter freundii (lilac).
“Hungarian folk art occupies an important space in the country's culture: colorful embroidery, pottery, lace produced by craftsmen. These masterpieces can be so colorful and amazing like bacteria on chromogenic agar plates. When I was a child, I attended folk dance classes and it was a great experience when we could put the beautifully embroidered clothes on. I tried to give something back from that feeling through this artwork,” said Pöstényi.
"My Living Portrait," by Korey Abram, a Digital Media Arts undergraduate student at Prairie View University, Texas, won first place in the Maker category. His piece is a bacterial self-portrait, utilizing both Serratia (red) and Micrococcus (yellow) bacteria.
“My Biology Professor, Dr. Quincy Moore, and Digital Media Arts Professor, Ms. Tracey Moore, decided to collaborate on a student project working with microorganisms to create art. Ms. Moore presented this amazing opportunity to us and encouraged us to submit our completed project into the ASM Agar Art Contest,” said Abram.
“I wanted to draw something that has to do with life and how we are connected to plants, animals, and bacteria. The idea is that we need to live in harmony and need to look at life as a whole, not just as us, but to see how everything is connected,” said Kate.
Second place for the Professional category was a tie between "The Notorious R.B.G. on V.R.B.G.," (below, left) by Michael Taveirne, Teaching Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University, and "Ablution," (below, right) by Michael V. Magaogao, Senior Lab Technician at RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
"Fu(n)ji-san," created by Isabel Franco Castillo, a Ph.D. student at Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, Spain, won third place in the Professional category.
"The microbes among us," by Aradhita Parasrampuria from New York, NY, won second place in the Maker category. Andrea Héjja, from Budapest, Hungary, won third place in the Maker category for her piece "Mondays like these..." (below, right).
To interview the winners or to get high-resolution images of the agar art please contact communications@asmusa.org.
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The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of more than 30,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
