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What do
we know about the bioluminescent organism used in this exhibit?
We know that
it is a single-celled marine-environment bacterial isolate, probably of
the Vibrio species, though we do not know its exact identity. We know that
it only grows on a high-salt medium at relatively low
temperatures—considerably lower than the internal temperature of the human
body. Like many marine organisms, this one produces blue light through a
chemical reaction.
Implications of making art with these living bacteria:
The
Invisible Becomes Visible.
Microorganisms live all around us (and in us) in every examined area of
the Earth, yet we are rarely aware of their presence. This exhibition
allowed viewers to have direct sensory contact with a microscopic organism whose origin is hidden in the depths of time and the
oceans of the world.
Communication.
Other Vibrio species, notably Vibrio fischeri, are known to produce
light in response to the accumulation of a sufficient number of organisms.
Why, in these species, the light is produced by communities rather than by
single organisms is unknown, but the phenomenon raises questions about the
nature of communal response and interaction.
Unpredictability.
Scientists from the CBE prepared plates with a nutrient medium able to
sustain these bacteria for a limited period of time; however, successful
growth depends on numerous factors, not all of which we can control. How
these bacteria respond to an environment created for them is inherently
unpredictable.
Life
Cycles and the Environment.
When these bacteria are transferred to petri dishes, they are invisible.
Within 24 hours they multiply exponentially and begin to emit a blue
light. Over the course of several days, light production peaks and then
begins to decline, as available nutrient is used up. This life cycle
heightens our awareness of resource limitations as well as
species-interdependency.
Mystery.
The pale blue glow produced by these bacteria evokes an aura of the
mystery of life in the remote depths of the ocean, where the vast majority
of the ocean's organisms create their own light, and reminds us how little
we really see and know of life on Earth. |
