Agar art is a fun activity that can be incorporated into a wide variety of lab courses. Agar art entails using
pigmented bacteria to ?paint? onto agar petri plates. However, the creation of these pieces of art is unusual in
that you cannot initially see what was painted. Bacterial growth rates and pigments may change depending on
the growth conditions and the presence of other microbes on the plate. Agar art can be used in class to both let
students work creatively and to reinforce the scientific method. The American Society of Microbiology and
other groups host agar art contests, so there are helpful online resources and examples that can also be
employed in class. Typically, students report that they enjoy agar art, even if they don?t self-identify as artists. In
recent years at our institution, student leaders who took microbiology courses that incorporated agar art
activities began hosting agar art contests open to the entire campus community. This gave those students
experience teaching their peers about basic lab safety, microbiology plating techniques, and bacterial growth. It
also illustrated a way that science and art intersects to a wide set of students and other campus members,
extending general interest in the sciences. Agar art is a straightforward and interesting way to connect non-
scientists and scientists in the community, as well as an effective way to engage science students learning the
scientific method.
Keywords: agar art, microbiology, bacteria, art
University of Maryland (2024)
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