Winners of the Art Contest at Agar ASM 2021

As we shared earlier in another post, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) holds the ASM Agar Art Contest every year, a competition where science and art merge. How do they do it? Artists use microorganisms of natural or genetically modified colors as “paint” and use bacteriological agar as a “canvas.”

In this edition, 300 works from 34 countries inspired by the theme “microorganisms are beautiful” have participated. There are three possible categories: Professional Traditional (participants who created their culture in a formal laboratory setting), Non-Professional Traditional (works from an informal setting), and Open (works that used any medium).

This has been the medal table for the professional category:

1st place: “Microlilies” by Sonja Borndörfer, Norbert W. Hopf, and Michael Lanzinguer, Germany.

Microorganisms growing on agar plates with lactose, cysteine, and electrolyte deficiency. The orange appearance was achieved using the bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous and the green pads by applying a solution of sterile water and Micrococcus luteus to the agar.

2nd place: “Guayacán Feathers” by Marlene Luengas Bautista and Yanet Trovar, Mexico.

The colors of the plumage and the alteration of the color of its body depending on the light stand out. Green, bluish, emerald shades, and a dazzling yellow beak are observed.

.

3rd place: “Flamenco Party” by Mireya Duran, Texas.

For the skirt, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis were used, the skin was obtained through a mixture of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. The rose of the hair is Staphylococcus saprophyticus and the hoop-shaped earrings were achieved thanks to Micrococcus luteus. The curls of the hair are composed of Salmonella enterica.

In September 2022, registration will open for this year’s edition, and we are looking forward to seeing the next winners.