“Communicating Bacteria” is a new collaboration between Anna Dumitriu, Dr Simon Park and Dr John Paul, which explores new research currently being undertaken in the field of bacterial communication through the development of an art installation that combines bioart, textiles and video projections.

Bacteria have intricate communication capabilities, for example: quorum sensing (voting on issues affecting the colony and signaling their presence to other bacteria); chemotactic signaling (detecting harmful or favourable substances in the environment); and plasmid exchange (e.g. for transfer of antibiotic resistance genes). This is now being investigated as a form of social intelligence as it is realized that these so called ‘simplest’ of life forms can work collectively, obtain information about their environment (and other cells) and use that information in a ‘meaningful’ way. Using signaling chemicals such as Homoserine Lactone, the bacteria pass on messages to nearby cells, which can be either part of their colony or other living cells (including eukaryotic and plant cells).

Dumitriu’s long-term artistic practice is focussed around microbiology and collaborative practice - Communicating Bacteria builds strongly on Dumitriu’s earlier collaborative work. Dumitriu will work using this new area of research as a basis for the development of a body of new work that will include textile designs with dyes made from bacteria that change colour dependent on the behaviour and communication of bacteria, crochet patterns based on bacterial responses, interactive interventions that are modelled according to the behaviour and communication across bacteria.

Communicating Bacteria is supported by The Wellcome Trust.

Video mapping on the “Communicating Bacteria Dress” was undertaken by Alex May.

Work from the  Communicating Bacteria Project was shown at R-Space at The Linen Rooms in Lisburn, Northern Ireland until 17th September 2011. A full to capacity workshop called “Bioart and Textiles” took place at The Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum on 24th August.

The video mapped dress then travelled to the V & A Museum in London where it was shown as part of the Digital Design Weekend for the London Design Festival on 24th and 25th September 2011.

Anna Dumitriu spoke about the project at ISEA in Istanbul on see here for information.

The piece will be shown at The Barn Gallery, St Johns College, University of Oxford 23rd - 27th May 2012 as part of Anna Dumitriu’s new exhibition “Normal Flora: Bioart Responses To Modernising Medical Microbiology”.