细菌也能画画 College students grow bacteria into artistic images

Stunning images made by students using bacteria(细菌 xìjūn) were on display(展示 zhǎnshì) in petri dishes(培养皿 péiyǎng mǐn) at a special exhibition at Shenyang Pharmaceutical University.

One of the works grown by the students using bacteria. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily]

Most of the bacteria were collected(收集 shōují) by the students from Chinese herbal medicines(中草药 zhōngcǎoyào) and from soil(土壤tǔrǎng) at the roots of primitive forest plants during a summer research(研究 yánjiū) tour to a mountain in China.

One of the works grown by the students using bacteria. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily]

"Students need to find the appropriate strains from the natural environment, and then, based on the color(颜色 yánsè), they use skills(技术 jìshù) including aseptic technique to make the bacteria grow(生长 shēngzhǎng) into a beautiful image," said the teacher in charge of the exercise.

One of the works grown by the students using bacteria. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily]

It took over a month to grow the bacteria into creative masterpieces(作品 zuòpǐn).

One of the works grown by the students using bacteria. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily]

"Our original intention(目的 mùdì) was to help the students to learn more, arouse their interest(兴趣 xìngqù) in scientific research, and have them understand how scientific research works," Zhang Yixuan, the associate dean of the School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutical Sciences told Science and Technology Daily.

One of the works grown by the students using bacteria. [File Photo: Science and Technology Daily]

"We observed the growth of the strains and, little by little, witnessed them become images as we expected; it's really wonderful, it was a lot of fun," said Wang Shuang, an undergraduate taking part in the project.

重点词汇 Key Word:

细菌 <名词 n.> germ; bacterium

• E.g. Xìjūn fánzhí hěn kuài.
  细菌繁殖很快。
  Germs multiply rapidly.

• Suǒyǒu xìjūn dōu bǐ bìngdú dà.
  所有细菌都比病毒大。
  All bacteria are larger than viruses.