Step into the microbial cosmos with our agar art masterpiece, "Galactic Microcosm: A Bacterial Odyssey." This unique creation offers a whimsical and artistic journey through our solar system, reimagined through the lens of microscopic organisms. Each planet in our solar system is represented by vibrant, living colors and shapes, grown from bacteria cultivated in our own back yard on the St. Thomas campus. Creating this celestial masterpiece involved a precise and delicate process. We carefully cultured different bacterial strains, each selected for its color and growth patterns, and arranged them on the agar canvas. We invite you to explore the wonders of the universe through this unique blend of science and art. "Galactic Microcosm: A Bacterial Odyssey" is a reminder that the beauty of the cosmos can be found not only in the grandeur of space but also in the fascinating world of microorganisms that exist in our everyday lives. It's a tribute to the creativity that can emerge when science and art come together in harmony. Enjoy your voyage through our bacterial universe!

Star Trek has provided generations of fans with visions of what the future could hold in the realms of technology and exploration. Could science fiction become reality in the present fight against the rise of antibiotic resistant infections such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)? For example, the technological development of a miniaturized device similar to the iconic Tricorder used by Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy or Dr. Beverly Crusher could improve surveillance and diagnosis, and lead to appropriate and timely treatment of antibiotic resistant infections. Exploration for new antibiotics is also a critical strategy to combat the threat of resistance. One innovative approach is to student-source antibiotic discovery through the Tiny Earth international network of partner-instructors, who imbed research into their courses. Students in these courses, fondly known as Tiny Earthlings, are making impressive strides in the drug discovery process, identifying microbes from soil that have novel antibiotic potential.

My submission is a series of three plates in which I depicted the imagination and hope for the future that Star Trek has always inspired in me, and the work I do with students to combat the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs. The first two plates are of the Star Trek logo and a Tricorder device from the original series. Taking these as inspiration, let us boldly fight against the notorious superbug depicted in the third plate. You can identify it by the clustered (staph) arrangement of spherical (coccus) shaped yellow (aureus) bacteria, and the cape it is wearing, representing the superbug characteristic of resistance to the antibiotic methicillin, and giving it the moniker MRSA: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Since I am a Tiny Earth Partner Instructor, my color palette was formed largely by microbes found by Tiny Earthlings investigating soil on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to identifying inhibitory activity, students recognized soil microbes with vibrant hues, and these became the color palette of coral, pink, yellow and whites used in the artwork. 16s rRNA sequencing performed by the students predicts the coral and pink bacteria to be of the genera Kocuria and Arthrobacter respectively. The white and yellow pigmented bacteria are currently unidentified. The purple of the cape is an E. coli library clone from a marine sediment environmental sample.