STEAM Connections: Painting with Bacteria

Abstract

Arts-related science activities provide unique opportunities to engage students' strengths and motivate different types of learners (Jolly, 2014). Incorporating arts into the discussion of gene expression and microbiology introduces students to a multidisciplinary approach to STEM and provides an opportunity to explore the use of science in different fields such as design, art, and industry. In this protocol extension students create living works of art on agar plates by “painting” with E. coli that express fluorescent proteins of various colors.

Bridging the gap with bacterial art

“…ASM has released an instructive video on how to create agar art with living microbes (Berkmen and Peñil Cobo 2017 ), in addition to a facilitator’s guideline outlining the process of organizing a bacterial art workshop (Microbiology 2019 ). A protocol has also been designed for teachers to conduct bacterial art in the classroom (Wu et al 2018 ).…”

Agar Art as an Instructional Tool to Teach Inducible Promoters via Fluorescent Protein Expression

“…Agar art is so popular that the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) hosts an annual competition to recognize the best agar art design from around the world . Examples of the use of agar art in the classroom include Wu’s DNA and gene expression for grades 8–12 and Morris’ course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) on gene expression for an introductory microbiology class. , While many tend to use agar art to focus on gene expression, ,− the more complex nuances of the plasmid on which the gene expression is based are typically not addressed, thus limiting its use in advanced courses such as biochemistry. To further expand on the use of agar art in upper-level courses, we decided to create an activity to teach inducible promoters (such as the lac operon) via the use of UV-light- or blue-LED-excited fluorescent proteins (FPs).…”