Balaram Khamari is a doctoral research scholar at AMR Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, India. His research focuses on studying antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Apart from doing incredible science, Balaram enjoys bringing art and science together through agar sci-art that keeps him motivated. Here, Balaram talks about his journey to win 2nd prize in the ASM Agar Art Contest 2020.I hail from a small village in an underdeveloped region of Odisha, India. With my parents’ blessings and the grace of God, I excelled in academics and extracurriculars throughout my school and college life. Arts, crafts, architecture, and design have always been my favourite hobbies. During my bachelor’s studies, I joined the University’s Arts & Crafts department. Six years later, having cleared multiple national-level exams, I received a Ph.D. fellowship from the Government of India and continued at the same University. Thanks to my experience and creative drive, I was made in charge of the Arts and Crafts team, which kept me closely connected to creativity.In the microbiology lab, I worked on antimicrobial resistance—specifically antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacterial pathogens and tools to predict resistance. After three years in the lab, I had no idea what Agar Art even was. In 2019, a colleague from a neighboring lab suggested I try making art on the agar plates I was using to grow bacteria. He encouraged me to participate in the international contest hosted by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). It suddenly struck me—I was missing a connection between two of my favourite worlds: Science and Art. Though nervous at first, I still remember my first attempt: a small Rangoli made entirely of Escherichia coli.For the 2019 Agar Art contest, I wanted to create something meaningful—both personally and symbolically. I practiced using contaminated and discarded plates. My submission, titled “Unity of the Faith”, depicted the ‘Sarva-dharma’ emblem of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization. I used E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and a mixed bacterial culture. The central circle featured LB agar, while the periphery used MacConkey agar. My entry was shortlisted and put up for public voting on Facebook.Although I didn’t win in 2019, the love and support I received were heartwarming. I am especially grateful to my research supervisor, who was kind, encouraging, and supportive of both my academic and artistic endeavors. That encouragement kept me going, and I looked forward to the 2020 contest with greater passion.
When the COVID-19 lockdown hit, most colleagues left for home, but I stayed back. After a long wait, I regained access to the lab. Inspired by my love for peacocks and Indian art, I envisioned a bold, elegant design. I began experimenting with various bacteria and growth media to bring my idea to life in 3D. But many attempts failed, and time was slipping away. I eventually simplified the design using LB agar and basic bacteria like E. coli, S. aureus, and Micrococcus. The final artwork, titled “Microbial Peacock”, looked modest—but my peers were impressed.
Still not fully satisfied, I created a second piece titled “Intricate Geometric Symmetry.” To my surprise, both entries were shortlisted—but it was “Microbial Peacock” that finally earned me the award I had hoped and prayed for.
Doing a Ph.D. in microbiology is demanding, and burnout is real. But creating agar art gave me joy and renewed my love for science. Nature is awe-inspiring, and exploring it under the microscope can be magical. Some of us even turn bacteria into brushes. If you’re a microbiologist with an artistic soul, I encourage you to give agar art a try—even with discarded plates. The results might surprise you.
On behalf of agar artists everywhere, I thank everyone who supports and celebrates this rare blend of science and creativity. One word of caution: never attempt agar art outside a controlled lab environment and without proper biosafety precautions.
Art by: Balaram Khamari
Edited by: Kshipra S. Kapoor
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