The rapid advancement in scientific innovations could easily seem like fiction to the casual observer. Each day seems to give new examples of a future in which we have the capabilities to radically transform human life in a laboratory. Embodying these concepts and pushing the boundaries of science are themes central to a growing field of art called Bio-Art (aka Sci-Art). Most often the relationship between medicine and art are about addressing the existential rather than using art to generate or answer hypothesis-based questions. This work is an exploration of the stool microbiome and illustrates how art can influence scientific discovery and be used to educate the public.
The short-term goal of the collaboration between a microbiologist and an artist was to develop a project that not only used biomedical research as art, but one that also advanced biomedical science. Specifically, using a combination of microbiological culture, immunology, mass spectrometry, photo-media and sculpture.
