Microbial Rainbow, 2018-

Microbial Rainbow is an evolution of the original Microuniverse series that shows the astounding diversity of bacteria patterns collected from around the world. This piece consists of tiled prints along with a central 3-D glass piece with circular screen playing a time-lapse video of bacteria. The specific bacteria chosen for the central time-lapse is Proteus Mirabilis, a distinctive bacteria that lives in the environment around us. It lives harmlessly in our bodies as a result, but at certain times, can cause infections in some people. P. Mirabilis forms an extraordinarily unique and characteristic ‘bullseye’ pattern, growing in concentric emanating circles from a single drop placed on a Petri dish. This rainbow circle pattern encased in glass is meant to draw viewers towards the central element of the work. The other bacteria presented have an array of amazing stories, each with characteristic patterns formed that define the a microbes’ unique signature. The images in this project will pair with a smartphone augmented reality (AR) app for additional engagement, allowing users to play time-lapse videos of bacteria and learn more information about each species. This projects encourage viewers to ask questions about the hidden world of bacteria, and connect the similarity of patterns across scales throughout the greater universe.