Week 6: Biotech + Art

Life is art. As mentioned in earlier lectures, the way our bodies function and keep us alive is a form of art itself. But what if we could play God? What if we can turn life into a visual or intellectual masterpiece? This is what many scientists/artists asked themselves in the late 20th century and early 21st century.
The GFP Bunny

Eduardo Kac's GFP Bunny was a huge breakthrough in the field of transgenic organisms (Vensa). Kac added the DNA of the jellyfish and concatenated it to that of a bunny rabbit (Kac). This miraculous work of art pushed the boundaries of biology as well as that of ethics. When news of the "glowing bunny" broke out, one of the first questions regarded the ethicality of the project. People accused Eduardo of physically altering and harming rabbits to achieve this goal (Nadarajan). However, Eduardo's work was on a genetic level and when the rabbit was in an embryonic stage. In addition, there were no deformities to the rabbit and no mental change as well. It was just a plain rabbit that could glow in the dark.
SHARK300200.jpg
One of the glowing kittens
Since then, transgenic work has improved drastically. Recently, in 2011, the Mayo Clinic and Yamaguchi University created glowing kittens, with no deformities, using the same Jellyfish DNA as the GFP rabbit. However, they were also able to add a gene that made them resistance to FIV, the feline equivalent to HIVs (Hamblin). This case was a huge breakthrough in the medicine. What if we could use these same techniques on humans? We could rid the world of AIDs, HIVs and possibly even cancer (Dvorsky). However, very few people would let their future children be "guinea pigs" to these experiments. In addition, there are a whole plethora of ethical questions that need to be addressed. Should we play God? If the resulting animal is deformed physically or mentally should the work be canceled? Should humans go through with these tests?

mouse
The result of genetic manipulation
From what was just an art project by Eduardo Kac is now an expansive study in biology. The use of art in genetics has the potential to cure cancer and rid the world of HIVs and other diseases. This clearly shows the power of art and the influence it has on our society today.



Sources:

Vesna, Victoria. “BioArt Pt 1.” Desma 9.

Kac, Eduardo. GFP BUNNY. www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor.

Britton, Sheila, et al. The Eighth Day: the Transgenic Art of Eduardo Kac. Arizona State University, Institute for Studies in the Arts, 2003.

Hamblin, James. “Glowing Bunnies: Why They Matter.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Aug. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/glowing-bunnies-why-they-matter/278621/.

Dvorsky, George. “Want to Stay Healthy? You'll Need to Become a Human-Animal Hybrid.” io9, Gizmodo, 15 Dec. 2015, io9.gizmodo.com/want-to-stay-healthy-youll-need-to-become-a-human-anim-1646604935.

Hugo, Kristin. “Remember the Lab Mouse with a Human Ear on Its Back? The Scientist Accused of ‘Playing God’ Explains His Work.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 16 Sept. 2017, www.newsweek.com/tissue-surgeon-ear-mouse-human-organs-transplant-cell-phones-666082.

Comments

  1. brontehalliganMay 16, 2018 at 2:16 PM

    Timothy, It is clear that this topic really interested you this week, I found it super interesting about the glowing kittens and I too think that this is the step in the right direction for our medical world. Great post! very interesting read

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 16, 2018 at 4:11 PM

    I really liked your discussion of Kac's work in a positive light, I felt the same way. Despite claims that what he did was immoral or wrong in some way, I also think the use of genetics expressed in art forms has potential to help cure diseases and influence society.

    ReplyDelete

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