BacteArte XII: Interdisciplinary Art and Science Event Memory

Description

This dataset documents BacteArte 2024, a Colombian national interdisciplinary event that integrated biotechnology, art, and STEM education, held on October 26, 2024, at the Universidad de Santander (UDES), Bucaramanga, Colombia. The event was organized by the Bacteriology and Clinical Laboratory Program of UDES, with the support of Fundación Eureka Soluciones, as part of an initiative focused on science communication, education, and innovative learning practices. BacteArte 2024 brought together 152 students from 10 Colombian universities, creating a national space for collaboration among students and educators interested in bioart, biotechnology, and creative scientific expression. The central component of the event was an exhibition inspired by the microscopic world, featuring agar-based biological artworks created using genetically modified Escherichia coli expressing chromogenic and fluorescent recombinant proteins. These artworks explored microbial growth, color expression, and artistic interpretation under controlled biosecurity conditions. In addition to agar-based bioart, the event included complementary artistic categories such as scientific photography, painting, and other artistic expressions, expanding the scope of the exhibition beyond biological media. The exhibition was installed in public spaces within the university campus, facilitating broad engagement with the academic community. The dataset compiles photographic and audiovisual documentation of the artworks, educational resources (including a biosecurity guide and a training course), participant and institutional metadata, certificates, and dissemination materials. All data were collected with prior authorization from participants and managed according to ethical and institutional guidelines. This dataset serves as the official archival record of BacteArte 2024 and supports the documentation, preservation, and reuse of interdisciplinary educational practices at the intersection of biotechnology, bioart, and STEM education.

Steps to reproduce

This dataset was generated within the BacteArte initiative, coordinated by Fundación Eureka and the Universidad de Santander (UDES), integrating microbiology, synthetic biology, biosecurity, education, and art-based research. The biological material consisted of genetically modified Escherichia coli strains expressing chromogenic proteins, produced using standard molecular biology transformation protocols and handled under BSL-1/BSL-2 containment conditions. All activities followed institutional and national biosafety regulations and the BacteArte Biosafety Guide. Transformed bacteria were cultivated on selective media and used in structured academic courses, laboratory training sessions, workshops, and outreach activities involving universities, research institutes, schools, and technical education centers. Artistic works were created using controlled microbiological culture techniques and documented through standardized digital imaging and metadata records. Each artwork and activity was registered with information on institution, country, date, biosafety level, and type of chromogenic system used. Data were digitized, curated, and harmonized following FAIR principles to ensure reuse in educational research, science communication, and bioart studies. Reproducibility requires access to a BSL-1 or BSL-2 laboratory, standard microbiology equipment and reagents, approved biosafety protocols for genetically modified organisms, and the use of standardized documentation and metadata templates.

Institutions

• Universidad de Santander
• Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia
• Institucion Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia
• Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander
• Universidad Pedagogica Nacional
• Universidad Del Rosario
• Universidad Industrial de Santander
• Universidad Popular del Cesar
• Universidad De Boyaca
• Universidad de Antioquia
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Categories

Funders

• Universidad De Santander

  Colombia
• Fundacion Eureka Soluciones

Licence