CopraxiS – i3S STEAM – BioArt and Life Science Animal Facility Residency
Bioart – Art and Biology Collaboration: Dr. Adam Zaretsky, Dr. Dalila Honorato and Dr. Mónica M. Sousa
A record of a bioart residency in the transgenic mouse production facility at i3S, University Porto, Porto, Portugal, EU 2022: Art/sci research-creation, field notes and bioart from the i3S transgenic mouse production facility.
The transgenic mouse production facility at i3S is an animal facility that breeds specific transgenic mutants for lab research. This means that the mice are genetically modified and bred to produce stable litters of similarly mutant pups. In other words, the mice are genetically modified in such a way that their offspring are altered in a specific hereditary and multigenerational way.
Covering the life cycle of the programmed mouse, we asked for hands-on experience as much as possible and learned through doing/witnessing: mouse sperm/egg collection, cryopreservation, fertilization, embryo mutagenic microinjection, implantation of embryos in a pseudopregnant surrogate, embryo dissection for tissue culture, surgery, breeding and euthanasia. Delving into software studies, there was an exploration of CRISPR/vector design apps and transgenic animal facility management apps. We also accessed global networks for stable pedigree proof of genomic standardization as well as animal care and use in the transgenic core. Learning that the mice were often disease models, created to infect with live contagious diseases or inborn with developmental disabilities (degenerative enhancements), we arranged for some animal enrichment arts. Learning of the often difficult life of scientists and graduate students, we also took the time to enrich the scientists with an action painting to live music enrichment lab. This form of in depth and experiential research is an advanced version of medical anthropology or science technology studies field working with subjective, literary, informed, morbid and humorous artistic outcomes.
“I am focused on the process of transgenic methodologies. I want to understand everything I can about making transgenic organisms. So, this residency was very informative for my grasp of the entire life cycle of the programmed mouse. The animal facility was very open to giving me details and I learned about the flow, the reasoning, the breeding and more.”
Adam Zaretsky
“Bioart – Art and Biology Collaboration: Dr. Adam Zaretsky, Dr. Dalila Honorato and Dr. Mónica M. Sousa was an enormous influx of open information that changed my arts process, my writing and my way of thinking. It is my hope to convey some of what I learned here. I am very thankful for the generosity of my lab and the people who run the facility for their time: sincerity in discussion, allowance for an artist-observer and hands-on training where legally and ethically allowed.”
Adam Zaretsky
Credits:
Residency in the transgenic mouse production facility and Nerve Regeneration Lab at the Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University Porto, Porto, Portugal, EU 2022 was a part of CopraxiS and Ectopia.
CopraxiS is a Bioart, WetLab, Hands-On, Art as Research Residency in the in Porto, Portugal. Maria Manuela Lopes (i3s) and Julio Borlido Santos (i3s) organize these artist residencies in conjunction with Marta de Menezes’ Ectopia of Lisbon, Portugal.
Mónica M. Sousa leads the Nerve Regeneration group at the IBMC/i3S. She gave guidance, flexibility and oversight and she was willing to play with us in lab including and experimenting with both ideas and actions on the bench as wet lab bioart studio. Monica also granted us open access to the animal facility in the basement of i3S.
We are very thankful for the generosity of the lab and the people who run the animal facility for: their time, sincerity in discussion, allowance for artist-observers and hands-on training where legally and ethically allowed. Thanks to all the caretakers and people running the transgenic animal facility beyond the barrier (names provided by request). And we witness and acknowledge all the mutant mice of i3S. The mice are sort of performing a type of life that is contained, of use, but not predominantly of their own, and yet quirky and resilient in this Grand Guignol role they play in the grindhouse world of transgenic disease modeling and research in hereditary transmission in general.
Thanks also to João Dias for heavy mover, impromptu, interpretive interaction, scientist enrichment jazz lab collaboration.
