Presentation:
Biofriction exhibition (curated by Marta de Menezes, and presented in partnership with the Biofriction partners : Hangar, Kapelica and Solu/Bio art Society).
Ectopia Gallery, Lisboa, Portugal June 2021

As part of the Biofrictions Residency, I explored the metaphor of microbes as witnesses to the unfolding of complex organismic life. Specifically, I focused on the plant pathogen Pseudomonas Syringae, because it is one of the most ubiquitous bacteria on earth, and in the sky, having been implciated in ice forming, cloud seeding and snow generation.  It is classified as a plant pathogen because of its ability to cause frost injury to sensitive plants.  It is one of the aerial organisms that can be said to travel on the winds, to live in the clouds and to fall back down as rain.  Quite infamously, this bacteria was also genetically modified to deactivate its ice-nucleation activity and create an ice-minus variant in order to reduce its impact on agricultural crops.  This strain, entitled ‘Frostban’ was released in the environment in the ingural open-air testing of a genetically modified organism in Brentwood California in 1987.  

I was interested in tracing the genetic ancestry of P.syringae’s key attribute for the project – its ice nucleation domain to perhaps trace its journey through its relatives and explore the future of its biology as an ‘on-demand’ rain-maker.  This work was done with the help of Dr Ligia Martins, professor of Biotechnology and head of the Ligia O Martins Microbial and Enzyme Technology lab at the ITQB the Interdisciplinary Research and Advanced Training Institute of NOVA University of Lisbon, and Dr Vania Brissos, a research associate on Ligia’s team.  

In the video example created as part of the Biofrictions residency and exhibition, we see a character creation interface, similar to what you may find in a typical RPG game.  A single organism, a 3D model of the pseudomonas syringae rotates slowly at the centre of the level in front of an open window that overlooks a landscape of a city.  The text reads :

Reading the genetic code of an aerial bacterium is a way to step outside the frame of time, to read the history embedded within the ancestry of an organism  inseparable from the history of the atmosphere and the earth itself.  This Biofrictions residency developed an appreciation for the stories within the phylogenic trees of Pseudomonas Syringae – a cloud-making bacteria, by locating instances of its ice-nucleation protein (INP) domains across multiple species and their evolutionary timeframes. With micro-biologists Ligia Martins and Vânia Brisso, we discussed the ways synthetic biology could lead to both utilitarian and poetic effects in the atmosphere through directed evolution of P.syringae with genetic fragments of its own biological history.  We considered the practicalities of fragments that code for historical morphologies (such as antibody resistance, colour, texture, shape) that could improve the capacity of the bacteria to create clouds, help solar radiation management (SRM) and introduce carbon capture (CDR) into its ability. In contrast to dystopian rhetorics of atmospheric collapse as a result of growing concern around climate geo-engineering, this residency was an experiment in collaborative optimism and accountability between scientists and artists.  

Using the base model of P.sringae as a hypothetical living chassis, this gamification explores preliminary speculations on modifying form and function through reading our protagonist’s phylogenetic ancestry. 

There are three options – Mucosa plus, Ice nucleating+ and Co2-fixing + 

Ice-nucleating+

This mutant derives enhanced ability to nucleate ice through the insertion of DNA sequences that code for increased Ice-nucleation domains on the surface of the bacteria, and further energy conservation for growth through designed avirulence for terrestrial plants (e.g. tomato).  A higher affinity for lower temperature environments would also support the bacteria’s suspension in the atmosphere.  These phenotypes are adapted from parental strains P.vulgaris and P.fragi.

Mucosa+

This mutant catalyzes the formation of mucus on its surface through the addition of gel-forming mucins in its genetic library.  An opportunistic bacterium, this mutant is able to develop micrometer thick membrane-like biofilms that create arrays of micro bubbles in the atmosphere.  While being able to attract other organisms in the air into commensal relationships within these micro-habitats, it is also able to direct microbial antagonism to protect itself and its habitat through the production of specific antibodies/poisons.  These micro bubbles can be used for bioremediation of the air.  These phenotypes are adapted from parental strains P.flourescens, P.chlororaphis, P.aeroginosa and P.abietaniphila.

Co2-fixing+

This mutant not only promotes photosynthesis and carbon fixation in hyper-accumulator plants, it has also been infra structurally conditioned to consume CO2 as a fraction of its daily diet and contribute to atmospheric bioremediation.  This mutant is also able to form internal biopolymers from its raised carbon consumption that contribute to host immunity. These phenotypes are adapted from parental strains P.alcaligenes, P.aeroginosa and P.abietaniphila

To find out more please listen to the podcast as part of the Biofrictions residency found here.