Event 2: The Unnatural, That Too is Natural

This past week I attended Anna Dumitriu's presentation titled "The unnatural, that too is natural: Artistic Explorations in Synthetic Biology."

Anna Dumitriu is a British artist who often works with BioArt (which we learned about last week!). Anna loves to work with sculpture and digital media to understand biology better. She explained that when she first was introduced to BioArt, she created an art piece titled “Engineered Antibody”, which was inspired by amino acids and antibodies. 

“Engineered Antibody”

One of Anna's projects focused on patching and repairing fabric using CRISPR; she used this technology to patch a wartime woman's suit. I can't express through words how insanely cool this concept is to me. I enjoy STEM, but I love fashion, so this integration of the two blew my mind. This made me think about how scientists can use this technology to repair other materials or possibly even be used in medicine. Additionally, I believe that this technology would benefit the environment because it could promote sustainability and repair old materials. 

“Make Do and Mend” Installation view at LifeSpace Dundee

Another one of Anna's projects focused on fermented yeast. The project took yeast and used CRISPR technology to capture carbon and turn it into lactic acid, which can form plastic. Yeast is not hard to find, making this project a significant finding in the environmental world. This science is a great mitigation tactic to combat carbon emissions and will benefit the environment.

Yeast samples

I am so impressed by artists and the way that they communicate science through different mediums. I enjoyed hearing from Anna Dumitriu, and I will definitely be following her work. 

Sources:

“5 Bioart pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, youtu.be/PaThVnA1kyg.

“5 BioArt pt5.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, youtu.be/z7zHIdsFS3A?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7.

Anna Dumitriu, 11 Apr. 2020, annadumitriu.co.uk/.

“Biotechnology From The Blue Flower.” YouTube, 18 Apr. 2020, youtu.be/qaRDuWDIlwY.

Center, Art|Sci. “Anna Dumitriu- The Unnatural, That Too Is Natural.” Vimeo, 13 May 2021, vimeo.com/545309728.

“Engineered Antibody.” Anna Dumitriu, 16 Mar. 2021, annadumitriu.co.uk/portfolio/wetware-engineered-antibody/.

“Fermenting Futures.” Anna Dumitriu, 16 Mar. 2021, annadumitriu.co.uk/portfolio/fermenting-futures/.

“Make Do And Mend.” Anna Dumitriu, 18 Oct. 2020, annadumitriu.co.uk/portfolio/make-do-and-mend/.