22-DEC-2014
By Stephanie Mounaud

Warm Wishes

Snow and smoke: Neosartorya fischeri 181; Wreath and ‘Warm wishes’: Aspergillus nidulans A4; Cabin: Aspergillus terreus 20843. Image: Stephanie Mounaud / JCVI

It has been another year and with that more fungus in my life (and another more human bundle of joy). I tried my best to get these fungus to behave (and my children) but we can’t always control them. So below is my newest artwork. It says Warm Wishes and is as cozy and warm (and fuzzy) of a cabin I could get with fungus. Enjoy and happy holidays to you.

Inoculating loops roasting in an open fire

The negative 80 nipping at your fingers

The incubators beeping like a choir

And the aroma of bacteria just seems to linger

Everybody knows resistance and recombination

Help to give us such a fright

Teeny Tiny Bacteria with their constant mutations

Will make it hard for us to sleep at night

But they all know that scientists will find a way

We’re using sequencing and synthetic life

And every single strand of DNA

To see if we can really end the lifelong strife

And so really think before you join the craze,

You will be in the lab every day.

Although it’s rewarding, many times we’re in a daze

But we do take a break for the happy holidays!