BIO

My name is Ingalls Witte, I am from Tampa, Florida, and am a freshman here at Florida State University majoring in Biological Sciences on the pre-med track. Aside from UROP, I am involved in the Chi Omega sorority on campus and am a Student Engagement Officer at the FSU Foundation. Outside of class and my involvements, I spend my free time making art, tending to my plant collection, playing the banjo, reading, and spending time with my loved ones. In the future, I hope to be in pediatrics with a focus on oncology in honor of my younger brother.

Microscopic BioArt

Abstract

In the contemporary art world, a new art movement has arisen. BioArt is a synthesis between the Biological Sciences and Visual Arts where individuals employ several scientific processes to illustrate the intersection between creativity and the natural world. For my research process, I employed various light microscopy techniques such as dark-field microscopy and phase-contrast microscopy to photograph artwork of various organisms and cell cultures. Additionally, by utilizing photo editing software such as Photoshop, I false-colored originally grayscale Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images that were previously taken. The convergence of Biological Sciences and the Visual Arts helps encourage conceptual and introspective thinking surrounding scientific processes, emphasizing philosophical, societal, and environmental issues. Furthermore, BioArt plays an important role in stimulating scientific thinking, contributing to new technologies and research questions, and garnering excitement surrounding science as a whole.

Keywords: Microscopy, Biology, Visual Arts