Zaman Muhammad Hasham - The Living Canvas: An Introduction to Microbial Art
Abschnittsübersicht
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Hello and welcome to the course!
My name is Muhammad Hasham Zaman, and I'm so excited to share my passion with you. I wanted to make this course a personal introduction, so it's only fair I introduce myself first.
I'm from Pakistan, and for as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by two things that often seem like opposites: art and science.
I pursued my love for science and earned my Bachelor's degree in Microbiology. I've spent countless hours in a lab, studying the invisible world of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. But at the same time, I've always had a deep love for art—for color, form, and creative expression.
A few years ago, I discovered the one place where my two worlds perfectly collide: microbial art.
For me, it's the most magical art form. It's a true partnership between the scientist and the artist. The 'canvas' is a petri dish, and the 'paint' is living, breathing microbes. You "draw" with invisible bacteria, and then, after a day or two, you watch as your creation literally grows into view. It's a perfect blend of a precise scientific process and a beautiful creative surprise.
My goal in this short, simple course isn't to give you a heavy science lecture. It's to share the wonder of this art form with you.
We'll look at some stunning images, and I'll explain the simple basics of how it's done. I hope you'll leave this course seeing both science and art in a new light.
Let's get started.
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So, how is this art actually made? It's a fascinating process that combines a biology lab with an art studio. Here are the three simple components.
1. The 'Canvas' (Agar)
The 'canvas' is a petri dish filled with a substance called agar. Agar is a jelly-like material (made from seaweed) that is packed with all the food and nutrients microbes need to grow. Before an artist starts, the agar is completely sterilized, so it's a perfectly blank and clean canvas.
2. The 'Paint' (Microbes)
The 'paint' is the microbes themselves. Artists use different species of bacteria and fungi that have their own beautiful, natural colors.
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A bacterium called Serratia marcescens can be a vibrant red.
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Micrococcus luteus is a bright yellow.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be green.
Other microbes are naturally fluorescent (glowing), and some can even be genetically engineered to produce a whole rainbow of colors!
3. The Process (Inoculation & Incubation)
This is where the magic happens.
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Painting: The artist uses a tiny, sterile tool (like a loop or a stick) to dip into a microbe 'paint' and then gently 'draws' on the surface of the agar. At this stage, the drawing is completely invisible.
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Incubation: The petri dish is then placed in an incubator. This is a warm, safe box that gives the microbes the perfect temperature to grow and multiply.
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The Reveal: The artist waits for 24-48 hours. As the microbes multiply into millions of cells, their colors become visible, and the invisible drawing grows into the final piece of art.
This is what makes it so special—the artist has to plan perfectly, but the final result is always a living surprise.
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