Angelina College Microbiology Students Participating in Global Agar Art Contest -

Angelina College Microbiology Students Participating in Global Agar Art Contest

Global Competition Features Art in a Petri Dish

AC Office of Communications

Angelina College Microbiology students under the guidance of instructors Dr. Paula Nellessen and Shanna Harris, along with lab coordinator Mallory Smith, are competing in the upcoming annual international “Agar Art Contest” sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. The theme for this year’s competition is “Microbial Postcards,” and students whose works are selected for the final portion of the competition are eligible for prizes.

Agar art is created in a petri dish using living, growing organisms, such as bacteria, and the ASM has been hosting the global competition since 2015.

Students (with hometowns listed) participating in this year’s contest include the following:

Denise Garcia (Lufkin), Xarious Gordon (New Orleans, La.), Tiffany Jeanfavre (Nacogdoches), Brittney Hunter (Anchorage, Alaska), L’Tia Sawyer (Lufkin), Jennifer Flores (Nacogdoches), Jonah Bundy (Lovelady), Alexandria Gutierrez (Bronson), Kinley Snider (Center), Danielle Orta (Lufkin), Sophia Shriver (Nacogdoches) and Melanie Fuentes (Livingston).

For further information on AC’s Microbiology programs, contact Dr. Paula Nellessen at pnellesen@angelina.edu.

Photo captions:

Students:

Two women in goggles and gloves smile as they collaborate with petri dishes and lab equipment at a black laboratory table.

Students in Angelina College’s Microbiology class team up on their piece of “agar art” for the upcoming global competition sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. The works consist of art created in a petri dish using living, growing organisms, such as bacteria. This year’s theme is “Microbial Postcards.”

(Gary Stallard photo for the AC Office of Communications)

Art samples:

Colorful bacterial art in a petri dish shows a flamingo, tree, and birds against a tropical sky.

Petri dish split into four textured sections in yellow, orange, purple, and dark violet on a white and purple background.

This piece of art is one of several Angelina College Microbiology student works for the upcoming “Agar Art Competition” sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. The annual global competition features art created in a petri dish using living, growing organisms, such as bacteria. This year’s theme is “Microbial Postcards.”

(Gary Stallard photo for the AC Office of Communications)