Intricate stories line the quiet spaces in and around living cells. Capturing these microscopic stories and communicating them to people in creative, accessible ways grows ever more important. As a recent Environmental Microbiology editorial urged, efforts to increase “microbiology literacy” — understanding of the incredibly profound and positive impact of microbes on humans and the planet — are critical for fields spanning healthcare to sustainability to policymaking. Towards this aim, I present an eclectic collection of science artwork ranging from pencil illustrations of subcellular structures to miniature sculptures of our microscopic microbial residents, from graphical abstracts for publications to paintings made from living bacteria itself. My multimedia art aims to portray both science and the process and people behind it in an approachable way, and to forge both scientist-and-scientist and scientist-and-public connections.
Distilling complex microscopic stories into art can bring together creativity, personal touches, and humor in a way that is more difficult to do with scientific research. I believe that the intersection between science and multimedia art offers an exciting way of reaching people from all age groups and backgrounds. Multimedia art has great potential for generating appreciation, understanding, and wonder for the microscopic.