Scientist Recreates Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ Using Bacteria And A Petri Dish

(PCM) We are sort of hoping that this does not pick up as a new art trend, however it is definitely pretty cool to view!  A group of scientists came up with the idea for “Agar Art” contest in which microbiologists use bacteria as paint and a petri dish as a canvas to recreate famous works of art for submission. For those that may not know, agar is a jelly-like substance that is placed in the bottom of petri dishes that bacteria can eat and grow upon.

Missouri microbiologist Melanie Sullivan entered the contest with her incredible recreation of Van Gogh’s famous painting “Starry Night” where she used various types of bacteria to create different colors including one that causes urinary tract infections and others that cause infections such as pneumonia and meningitis. Rest assured that all safety precautions were taken when working with the various bacteria and submissions were only accepted from individuals who were members of the American Society of Microbiologists (ASM).

It is the hope of the individuals who organized the contest that for once art and science can be married together and prove that scientists can indeed be artistic!