Week 6: Biotechnology and Art

The intersection of biotechnology and art has raised many ethical and social issues over the last decade and a half. Through this week’s lecture, I learned that many artists have entered the laboratory to create art by manipulating live tissue, microorganisms, and life processes. These artists raise the question of whether or not we can consider life itself as an art form.

An example of the cross between art and biotechnology is Eduardo Kac’s Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) Bunny, Alba. Under blue light, the bunny glowed with a bright green light. Kac was able to achieve this illumination by inserting a synthetic mutation of the green fluorescent gene found in jellyfish into the albino bunny through zygote microinjection (Kac). This was a piece of transgenic art, a new art form based on genetic engineering to transfer synthetic genes into natural beings.

Eduardo Kac’s project reminded me of the idea of “designer babies,” in which parents could select their baby’s traits, prevent diseases, and enhance athleticism and intelligence (Ghose). In April of this year, a team of Chinese scientists were actually able to successfully edit the genes of a human embryo for the first time. They were able to “modify the gene responsible for … a potentially fatal blood disorder, using a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR/Cas9” (Cyranoski). This success has led to ethical debates on how genome modification may affect have an unpredictable effect on future generations because they are inheritable. 

Although I understand the motives for human genome modification, I personally find the process unethical. I believe the natural process of pregnancy and birth is why humanity is beautiful and a natural work of art. The process seems to be on par with plastic surgery in which we are attempting to converge on the “ideal” child and person by selecting traits deemed “dominant” in society.

Another example of biotechnology and art is Edward Steichen's Delphiniums, which he cross bred and genetically modified to create extremely aesthetic hybrids (Hartmann). Learning about the delphinium's made me realize that my dog, Max, is a personal example of hybridization. He is part Dachshund and part Golden Retriever.

Works Cited:

Cyranoski, David, and Sara Reardon. "Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-scientists-genetically-modify-human-embryos-1.17378>.

Ghose, Tia. "Children to Order: The Ethics of 'Designer Babies'" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/44087-designer-babies-ethics.html>.

Goodman, John. "Are Designer Babies Ethical?" Are Designer Babies Ethical? National Center for Policy Analysis, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://healthblog.ncpa.org/are-designer-babies-ethical/>.

Kac, Eduardo. "GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. Eduardo Kac, n.d. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor>.

Laurent, Anna. "Art & Botany: Edward Steichen's Delphiniums." Garden Design. Garden Design Magazine, n.d. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.gardendesign.com/ideas/art-botany-edward-steichens-delphiniums>.

Vesna, Victoria, narr. “BioTech Art Lectures I-V.” N.p., . web. 5 Nov 2012.