Understanding Antibiotic Resistance through Art

The work of Anna Dumitriu will be on display at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, UK between September 28, 2017 and March 18, 2018. The BioArt and Bacteria exhibit will feature works that explore the relationship between people, bacteria, antibiotics and technology. Included in the display will be many of her innovative projects, including:  the MRSA Quilt, Sequence Dress, Engineered Antibody, Microbe Mouth, Make Do and Mend, The Hunt for New Antimicrobials, The Art and Science of Linen, and Ex Voto.

Dumitriu’s art is fascinating to scientists and the general public alike.  Not content with just creating traditional sculptures and crafts, Anna delves into the latest technology to create a medium that provides important information and tells complex stories regarding the relationship between bacteria and antibiotics. This helps to break down communication barriers between scientists, researchers, healthcare practitioners, and the public on these topics.

“Blue Henry”

One piece, entitled ‘Blue Henry,’ is a flask that would have been carried by tuberculosis patients in a sanatorium to collect infected mucus coughed up from their lungs. The engraving on the top shows a transmission network of tuberculosis patients, revealed through whole genome sequencing.

This BioArt and Bacteria exhibit follows the journey from the sanatorium movement to the rise of antibiotics and other technological developments that have improved our understanding of bacteria.

For more information about the exhibit, please visit http://annadumitriu.tumblr.com/BioArtBacteria

For more information about Anna Dumitriu’s artwork, please visit http://www.normalflora.co.uk/