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Washington, D.C.—������ý (ASM) has announced the winners of the 10th annual Agar Art Contest, which drew a record-breaking 445 submissions from around the world. Since 2015, ASM’s Agar Art Contest has provided a platform for scientists and artists to showcase their creativity by using live microbes to “paint” images on agar, a gelatin-like substance that serves as food for microorganisms. This year's contest theme is "What Brings You Joy?” Participants were encouraged to express their happiest moments through the medium of agar. 

“Every year, the Agar Art Contest receives a wide range of beautiful entries from creatives and scientists that showcase the powerful and diverse world of microbes,” said Aleea Khan, Director of Communications, ASM. “This year’s theme inspired creators to share their greatest sources of joy with the public, showcasing that microbes are more than just scary, disease-causing agents.” 

Submissions to the “Professional” category came from individuals with regular access to laboratory space and materials. Jeeyoung Lee, a graduate student at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, won first place in this category with “Petri Dish Jazz Club.” Her artwork celebrates the joyful connection between microbial life and the spirit of jazz, featuring 4 distinct strains of Bacillus, along with Janthinobacterium lividum, Pedobacter ginsenosidimutans and the alga Parachlorella kessleri. 

Elsa Fristot, a postdoctoral researcher at Centre de Biologie Structurale in Montpellier, France, took second place in the “Professional” category with her piece “The Path of Discovery.” Presented as a triptych, the artwork symbolizes a journey through elements that bring the artist joy: travel, working in synthetic biology and observing nature.  

Jamisha Francis, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., won third place in this category with “Frenchie in Black." The piece expresses her love for dogs and the movie “Men in Black.”  

The “Creator” category includes artists who created their work in informal settings, such as a community lab, or undergraduate students who made their work as part of a classroom assignment. Akito Nakajo Yadav of Fukushima Medical University, School of Health Sciences in Japan, won first place with “This Is My Joy and Companion.” The art, created using Candida, depicts a joyful moment between the artist and his cat, Mofu. 

The “Minors” category accepts art submissions from artists under 18 years of age. The first-place winners in the 13 or older age group are Zahra Estakhr, Melika Estakhr, Asra Estakhr and Hamideh Ghasemzadegan of Marvdash School in Iran with “Global Peace.” Their artwork depicts a sunrise, symbolizing a wish for world peace, and was created using Escherichia coli and Salmonella.  

The first-place winner in the under-13 age group is Timbre Zlomke from the Knudson Academy of the Arts in Las Vegas, who created “The Wyoming Mountains.” This piece uses Micrococcus luteus and Serratia marcescens to depict the peaceful mountains of Wyoming. 

This year’s Agar Art Contest is sponsored by MilliporeSigma,* a leader in innovative life science products and services, supporting prizes awarded to the contest winners.  

 

Learn more about ASM’s Annual Agar Art Contest and view the full list of winners here.  
 

*MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. 
 

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������ý is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 37,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.  
 

ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.