MicroPop

Design, Science and the World of Microbes

In the course of this project, doctoral students from the Cluster of Excellence CMFI and students from the programs of Industrial and Communication Design at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design (ABK) have been working together in transdisciplinary teams – combining cutting-edge research and innovative art. These teams developed eight exhibits that focus on a wide variety of aspects of microbiome research. Working together, we follow the common goal of exploring fresh perspectives and innovative possibilities that arise when science and art work closely together to communicate research – and make the invisible visible to the public.

The doctoral students participating in the project come from the fields of microbiome research, such as infection biology, immunology, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical biology, antibiotic research, microbiology, and biotechnology. The ABK classes work with a variety of approaches to industrial and communication design. Their methods and materials are multi-faceted, ranging from augmented reality, digital pieces, and 3D printing to bronze casting, woodwork, and type design.

The exhibits play freely with various research concepts and objects. They are strongly interactive and confront visitors of the exhibition with what is otherwise inaccessible to the human senses.

The Idea of the Project

About 40 to 100 trillion microorganisms live on and in every human body. Together, all these bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes make up our individual microbiomes. Today, research into how exactly they interact and how their complex micro biotical balance works is more important than ever: a better understanding of the microbiome can help us, for instance, to get a better grip on known and emerging infectious diseases. This is crucial, especially in light of increasing antibiotic resistances around the world.

The exhibits are the result of a collaboration launched in November 2021 between the University of Tübingen's Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Arts (ABK), and the Tübingen Research Center for Science Communication. This page presents a first look at our results.