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Interested in Using an Agar Art Image?

To request copyright permission to republish or otherwise use Agar Art images, contact us at communications@asmusa.org

Professional Category Winners

First Place: "Circles of Life: Microbes in Motion"

By Johnie Urias, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg

"When I created this piece, I wanted to show the hidden microbial world that sustains all life on Earth. This artwork is my visual tribute to microbes, the unseen engines that keep nature healthy, protect people and even help shape our planet's future. At the center is an image of Earth and a microscope, showing how science helps us see and understand this hidden world. Around the center are 6 plates, each showing a special job that microbes do in the circle of life.

"The top plate shows how microbes recycle nutrients to help plants grow and keep nature in balance. On the top left, I showed fermentation, how microbes turn simple ingredients into bread, cheese, yogurt and wine, foods that connect cultures and history. The bottom left plate shows how microbes help in medicine by making antibiotics, vaccines and other life-saving treatments. At the bottom, I drew microbes that live on plant roots, helping plants grow by sharing nutrients and energy. The bottom right plate shows the gut microbiome, the many microbes in our stomachs that help us digest food and stay healthy. The top right plate shows microbes that can break down plastic, illustrating how they may help fight pollution in the future.

"I used Chromobacterium violaceum, a soil and water bacterium that produces a bright purple pigment called violacein. This pigment is not only visually striking, but it can also fight germs, fungi, parasites and even cancer cells. As the bacteria grew for 18 hours, the images formed naturally, blending science and art. One special thing about this piece is how the bacteria seem to travel from one plate to another, showing the endless connections microbes form across soil, water, plants and even our own bodies.

"Through this artwork, I celebrate the beauty, strength and interdependence of the microbial world that truly makes our world go round."

Second Place: "Self-Portrait of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae"

By Sarah Levovitz, New York University

"Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer's yeast or baker's yeast, is often used in research labs as a model organism (they are eukaryotes just like us), or as a host for replicating large DNA fragments. But thousands of years before there was scientific research, there was beer and wine. The brewers of ancient Mesopotamia didn’t know it, but they were using living organisms to make their favorite drinks! Brewers accidentally started culturing specific yeast strains by using the best-tasting batches of beer or wine to create more batches. The brewers then gave some of these batches to bakers so they could make bread that tasted better, too. In the 19th century, when it was discovered that yeast was a living organism, it became possible to isolate and grow pure strains of yeast, and S. cerevisiae became the world’s most popular strain.

"If this yeast were to paint a self-portrait, I think that it would want to depict itself as some of its greatest creations: 2 of the world’s most popular drinks and some delicious baked goods. These images were made using an S. cerevisiae cloning strain engineered to express a variety of different colors. In the middle, I depicted a glass of wine and a pint of beer, where the history of everyone's favorite yeast began. I also created images of some of my favorite foods made using yeast, including challah bread, pizza, bagels and donuts. The existence of these foods certainly proves to me that microbes make the world go round. The world would certainly be a different (and less tasty) place without these amazing organisms."

Third Place: Microbes: The Invisible Life Forces of the Planet Earth

By Ajesh K, Kims Sreechand Hospital, Kannur, Kerala, India

"An effort has been made in this piece of agar art to emphasize the vital role of microorganisms in human existence. The center plate depicts oceans and continents, indicating their presence everywhere. The other 6 plates illustrate their diverse roles, including food production, antibiotics production, benefits of gut flora, nutrient cycling, sewage treatment and the contribution of extremophiles in the advancement of modern biology."

Creator Category Winners

First Place: "The Hidden Power of Microorganisms: No microbes, No Life ..."

By Stephanie Young, Universidad de Panamá

"This artwork visually represents the fundamental role of microorganisms in sustaining life on Earth, inspired by the theme "Microbes Make the World Go Round." The central image is a large tree, symbolizing the Tree of Life, whose roots and surrounding environment are formed entirely from vibrant microbial colonies. The roots transition seamlessly into colorful, branching patterns of bacteria, illustrating how microbes are the hidden foundation that nourish and support all forms of life, much like roots sustain a tree above ground. The smaller plates surrounding the central piece each represent a different group of microorganisms: one plate features the branching structures of Penicillium, another displays a variety of bacterial shapes, a third illustrates bacteriophages and viruses, and the last plate carries the message "NO MICROBES, NO LIFE." Together, these satellite plates highlight the remarkable diversity of the microbial world, serving as companions to the central "Tree of Life" and reinforcing the essential role that microbes play in maintaining life.

"To create this piece, different species of pigmented bacteria were inoculated on agar. Over time, the bacterial colonies grew into different designs, forming a living tapestry that celebrates microbial diversity.

"The message of this piece is clear and simple: without microbes, there is no life. Microorganisms recycle nutrients, support plant growth, protect our health and drive the cycles that keep the Earth thriving. This artwork invites viewers to appreciate the unseen world beneath our feet and the tiny life forms that make our planet vibrant, fertile and alive!"

Second Place: "The Symbiotic Planet: A Microbial Perspective"

By Ankit Gurung, Sri Sathya Sai Institution of Higher Learning

"On the left center, a plant cell is drawn, with chloroplasts and mitochondria. On the right center, a human cell is shown, with colonies highlighting its mitochondria. This central image depicts endosymbiotic theory, visualizing the scientific concept that the very engines inside our cells (mitochondria and chloroplasts) were originally free-living microbes. To the left, a large tree with deep, iridescent roots represents the plant kingdom and the essential soil ecosystem that depends on microbial nutrient cycling. To the right, connected to the human cell, a human figure is outlined. This symbolizes the animal kingdom and the human body as an ecosystem, home to our vast human microbiome. At the bottom right, there is bread and a block of cheese depicted, which is a reference to fermentation, showing how microbes are directly responsible for creating many of our essential foods.

"Across the top, the full diversity of the microbial world is showcased. On the top left, colonies are shaped into mushrooms (a fungus) and on the right normal skin flora. On the top right, other colonies are formed into sunflower-like lichens (a symbiosis of fungi and algae) and other fungal structures."

Third Place: "Dynamism of Decay and Creation"

By Tamaki Gozu, Fukushima Medical University

"This triptych of agar art uses the fossilized skeleton of a giant, ancient life form—a dinosaur—as its canvas, illustrating the magnificent cycle where the end of one life intertwines with the beginning of another. Through the striking contrast between the bones, a symbol of past life, and the vigorously blooming flowers, we express the fundamental role that microbes play on Earth.

"The dead dinosaur's skeleton, without decomposition over time, would remain merely a mass of material. The critical actors here are the microorganisms themselves, which serve as the very "paint" of this piece. Microbes decompose flesh and bone, transforming them into nutrients that plants can utilize. Through this process of decay, the energy and matter once stored by past life are returned to the soil, forming the foundation for new life.

"The flowers depicted in the artwork symbolize this "creation," made possible by the global nutrient cycling driven by microbes. Without microorganisms, the bones would never break down, nutrients would be depleted, and the world would be unable to foster new life. We have embedded the message that "Decay" is the starting point for "Creation," and the microbes driving this dynamism are precisely what keeps the world continuously turning."

Kids 13 and Over Category Winners

First Place: "Microbial Mineralization Makes the Life Go Round"

By Hexu An, Hangzhou No. 4 High School

"On Earth, microbes solubilize insoluble minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium and silicon, providing mineral nutrition to plants. Plants provide food to animals. Animal manure provides organic nutrition to plants and microbes. In short, microbial mineralization makes life go round. In this agar art, the blue background is the silicon medium containing insoluble silicon (magnesium trisilicate) and a pH indicator (bromothymol blue). A Kosakonia bacterium growing on the silicon medium produces organic acids, changing the silicon medium color from blue to yellow and solubilizing silicon around the bacterial colony, finally, making a round bright moon. Under the moon, a giant panda is eating bamboo, a silicon-accumulating plant. The giant panda was painted using a Serratia bacterium suspended in a sodium tellurite (0.5 g/L) solution. The Serratia bacterium usually forms a red colony because it produces red prodigiosin; it also produces organic acids on the silicon medium and can solubilize silicon around. However, tellurite inhibits Serratia to produce organic acids and turns Serratia to black. The bamboo plants were painted using an Escherichia coli strain containing green fluorescent protein. Together, silicon-solubilizing bacteria, silicon-accumulating bamboo and a bamboo-eating giant panda represent lives going round in the world."

Second Place: "E. coli: The Tiny Hero Making Our World Go Round"

By Guangqi Ma, Shanghai No. 2 Senior High School

"I cultivated bacteria from soil samples, then used them to paint everyone's favorite gut buddy, Escherichia coli. Sure, some may think microbes are just "germs," but this little guy is a total rockstar—helping us digest food, making vitamins and even being a lab hero for science experiments! This artwork reflects the remarkable impact of microbes on our world. These soil-sourced bacteria are colorful and lively, just like how microbes keep every corner of Earth thriving—from our tummies to forests and beyond.

"So here's to E. coli, the tiny powerhouse showing us microbes aren't scary—they’re the secret sauce making the world spin!"

Third Place: "The Bacterial Tourists of Shanghai"

By Katrina Yeung, Concordia International School, Shanghai

"In my artwork, using E. coli, I’ve created a travel stamp featuring the Shanghai Pearl Tower alongside a cartoon bacteria. This design symbolizes how interconnected our lives are with the microscopic world. Bacteria are everywhere, like little tourists traveling around the world, just as they traveled with me from Hong Kong to the place where I am studying, Shanghai. These bacteria are transported by various means, whether by plane, train or through everyday interaction. These bacteria accompany me throughout the rest of my journey in this city."

Kids 12 and Under Category Winners

First Place: "Ancient Engineers: Cyanobacteria's Role in Shaping Earth's Atmosphere"

By Lin Yu Kwan, Chen Yuk Ham, He Wen Yan, Wong Sam Shan; Tsuen Wan Chiu Chow Public School

"Cyanobacteria, Earth's microscopic oxygen factories, tirelessly churn out life-sustaining Oâ‚‚ through photosynthesis. These tiny powerhouses harness sunlight with chlorophyll, devouring COâ‚‚ and water to forge glucose fuel while exhaling vast quantities of oxygen, enriching the atmosphere. Thriving in oceans, lakes and soils, they form the base of food webs, fueling plankton and marine life. Over billions of years, these ancient engineers oxygenated the planet, stabilized climates and sparked evolutionary explosions, transforming a barren world into a verdant haven teeming with diverse species."

Second Place: "Microbes: The Essential Threads of Modern Life"

By Lee Hei Kiu, Siu Chun Yu Jayden, Tsang Tsun Ka and Wu Ho Ying; Kei Hin Primary School

"Our design is divided into 4 areas: clothing, food, housing and transportation. Microbes play vital roles in every aspect of human life, including clothing, food, housing and transportation. They help process natural fibers and produce sustainable biomaterials. In food production, microbes drive fermentation, enrich flavor and improve nutritional value, while probiotics promote digestion and gut health. In housing, they contribute to bio-cement creation, enhance air and soil quality and decompose harmful substances to improve living conditions. In transportation, microorganisms are used to produce biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. These tiny organisms are indispensable to modern life and environmental sustainability."

Third Place: "Puppy Being Vaccinated"

By Erick Tapia Hernandez, Allana Quintero, KO Knudson Academy of the Arts

"My team's art piece represents a dog getting vaccinated, which shows that a vaccine on a dog has bacteria and dogs need vaccines to survive. The bacteria in a vaccine can include Clostridium tetani. Clostridium tetani helps make vaccines by being cultured to produce toxins, which are then inactivated with formaldehyde to create a toxoid. We made our art by taking the inoculating loop and dipping it into the culture tube, then gently putting in on the agar inside the dish. We used a culture of Serratia marcescens bacteria to draw our art. We used an inoculating loop, petri dish and centrifuge tube as tools. We applied the bacteria to the agar by gently taking the loop and gliding it on the agar. We let the bacteria sit for a little under a week for it to show up. We feel it was successful because you could tell it was a dog getting vaccinated."

Interested in Using an Agar Art Image?

To request copyright permission to republish or otherwise use Agar Art images, contact us at communications@asmusa.org