BioArtography

We often see striking beauty in our work as scientists. BioArtography is a scientific art program that allows us to share real scientific images as part of a juried art show. Proteus mirabilis bacteria (literally, the "marvelous shape-changer") produce incredible swarming patterns under the right conditions. Two of these images, below, were selected in the BioArtography competition when it was housed at U. Michigan and sold at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Both images are P. mirabilis on agar plates, and the photos were captured with a cell phone camera (iPhone 13 mini).

A common cause of urinary tract infections, especially in catheterized patients, is a bacterial species called Proteus mirabilis. The bacterium was named after the Greek sea god, Proteus, who was able to change shape to avoid capture. This is an apt name, since P. mirabilis regularly changes shape on solid surfaces, from a short rod-like form to a very long, flexible rod covered with thousands of whip-like flagella that bestow the ability to swarm. Because of this shape-shifting behavior, P. mirabilis produces a distinctive bullseye pattern on an agar plate, due to periodic waves of migration separated by consolidation. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie this swarming behavior could help us understand the behavior of these bacteria in the context of urinary tract infections.