Week 6: Biotechnology
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| GFP Bunny glowing in the dark. |
As time passes by, the number of scientific advances increases with it. The past two decades were the base for research in the fields of technology, biology, and art; prompting different artists to experiment with living tissues in order to create art.This idea has generated contradictory arguments on whether nature is a valid canvas for expression or if it is a hazardous idea risking animals and other living organisms to dangerous experiments. Eduardo Kac created a glow in the dark living bunny from the mixing of jellyfish and rabbit genes. This hybrid was able to live a pampered and happy life but as Kac’s explains, this bunny was able to create a complex social event that moved the world through its special characteristics, instead of limiting the experiment with average characteristics.
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| Eduardo Kac and GFP Bunny |
This kind of “Transgenic Art” has served to inspire other scientists and artists to envision alternative solutions to biological problems that humans try to fight every day which makes the mixture of biotechnology and art a great tool for the future.
As mention in the lecture by Professor Vesna, there are studies in which the same jellyfish genes implanted in Kac’s rabbit have been utilized in different medicaments that help to counteract cancerogenic cells and track their successfulness. This is one of the most outstanding advances that has been pulled from the mixture of biotechnology and art that can actually change the world that in my personal opinion makes nature a valid canvas for the expression of artist and discovery of innovative tools for humans.
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| Fluorescent dye used in order to obtain better visualization of tumors. |
Sources:
Kac, Eduardo. "GFP Bunny" http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor Web.
Unknown. "Eduardo Kac and GFP Bunny". http://www.ekac.org/gfpb1.jpeg. Web.
Unknown "GFP Bunny" http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/team-of-scientists-create-cloned-glow-in-the-dark-rabbits-8756928.html. Web
Unknown. "Flourescent Dye for Tumors". http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234614.php. Web
Vesna, Victoria."Week 6: Biotechnology Lecture" 2017. Web.
I agree that it is important for technology, science and art to come together for research. It certainly has helped discover methods to save many lives, such as your example in using jellyfish genes to counteract cancer cells. But to what extent is art using nature as a medium permissible? There are many controversial areas because research and art involve ethical issues. In this week's lecture, there was mention of Marta de Menezes who modified the pattern of butterfly wings, but this kind of art eventually killed the butterfly. BioTech and art is definitely an interesting are of study and can lead to great things, but can also hurt organisms scientists and artists work with.
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