Hybrid Matter

Series Of Scanning Electron Microscope Images of Tumor and Synthetic Cells, 3D Print of JCVI-syn3.0 Cell, Edit Yourself CRISPR KIT

JCVI-syn3.0 cells, human colon cancer cells, chemicals, platinum, SEM, 3D print casted in nickel silver, edit yourself CRISPR KIT

The series Hybrid Matter is composed of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of tumor cell organoids and artificially created synthetic cells. JCVI-syn3.0 represents the first synthetically created cell with the minimal number of genes essential for survival. The resulting images were also used to create a 3D print of the cell in division. By magnifying these microscopic beings, we come face to face with a new generation of biology. Portraits of functioning yet artificially created cells are contrasted with human tumor cells, revisiting the question: what can we still call natural?

Scanning electron microscopy with kind support of Stefan Diller, cells provided by CPO Berlin-Buch and JCVI, San Diego, CA.

Berlin 2018