Urban photography, chewing gum and the riddle of life itself
As part of MOUTHY, visual-artist Effie Paleologou has added to her photographic series 'Microcosms,' this time taking a forensic look at the gum-covered pavements near the site of Science Gallery London. To complement her photographic work Effie collaborated with Jonathan Richardson, a fungal researcher at King's College London, to investigate Effie's "artist hypothesis" that the debris of the city's faceless inhabitants isn't so anonymous... Jonathan writes about the investigation.
The average day in the life of a research scientist is varied to say the least. None more so than when we were approached by Effie Paleologou and the Science Gallery London team to investigate whether DNA could be extracted from discarded chewing gum that was literally prised off the streets of London!
Now it has to be said that I never give gum much thought (just an occasional chew), but intrigued by the challenge and always willing to take a step into the unknown, we set to work.
Having been exposed to the elements for a significant amount of time (not to mention thousands of shoes), the street samples were unsurprisingly gritty!
Concerned that the age of the street samples might reduce the chance of a successful DNA extraction, we went to a local store and bought some fresh gum, gave it a chew and added these freshly-chewed samples to the experiment.
Image: eppendorf tubes containing gum samples © Effie Paleologou
Image: ethanol precipitation of DNA © Effie Paleologou
Image: phase partitioning of DNA: samples ready for centrifugation © Effie Paleologou
Image: keeping them nice and chilled on ice © Effie Paleologou
Dissolving the gum to extract the DNA presented a significant challenge. However by cooling the samples to minus 80 degrees the gum turned brittle enough that we could grind it to a fine powder which made it much easier to work with. By adding a mixture of organic solvents to the powered gum, together with some scientific know-how, we were able to isolate the DNA. Ever the artist, Effie took a sneaky shot of me in the laboratory during the extraction process. While the amount of DNA we obtained from all of the samples was low, it was nevertheless detectable using standard laboratory equipment.
Image: spectrophotometric quantification of extracted DNA © Effie Paleologou
Image: low yield, but DNA nonetheless: absorbance trace of DNA sample © Effie Paleologou
The experiment was a success and demonstrated that it is possible to isolate DNA from discarded chewing gum. This finding provides an additional and intriguing twist to Effie’s artistic endeavours. Not only does her work capture the urban environment in a way that highlights its unique and inspiring characteristics, but the collaboration between arts and science illustrates that discarded gum conceals a unique molecular signature which is as diverse as the streets of London themselves.
Microcosms by Effie Paleologou is on display in the Colonnade on Guy’s Campus until 25 November 2016. Find out more.
November 17, 2016