The flux under your skin
1 Sep - 29 Nov 2023 - Special immersive exhibition at focusTerra. Researchers are investigating whether bacteria can be used as drug carriers and targeted in the bloodstream with the help of a magnetic field. Could bacteria help to fight cancer cells in this way? The exhibition "The flux under your skin" by artist Prof. Susanne Winterling in collaboration with the Laboratory for Reactive Biomedical Systems at ETH Zurich takes an artistic approach to this question.
The Finissage of the exhibition will take place on Monday, 27.11.2023, 17.30 – 18.30 at focusTerra NO D 45
The autobiography of a gut bacterium
Florian Schmidt, senior scientist at the Laboratory for Biological Engineering, ETH Zürich
followed by an apéro, closing at 20.00.
Today, we have advanced in how we use bacteria for cancer therapy and stimulating the immune system.
ETH researcher Simone Schürle and her team are working on an innovative solution to enhance the effectiveness of treating tumors with bacteria. They are harnessing the power of a magnetic control system to direct special magnetic bacteria inside the body, like tiny living robots, to tumors. These bacteria act as drug carriers and are controlled by a magnetic field to help them reach the tumor site. The magnetic fields used in this method are safe and can transmit energy deep beneath the skin to the body. This energy helps transport bacteria, which are loaded with miniature "drug backpacks," to the tumor, promising a more targeted and effective treatment approach.
This scenario sets the stage for external page Susanne Winterling's immersive installation, which invites visitors to explore the interior of the body at eye level with the bacteria.
The exhibition is an experience that appeals to our senses. The artworks’ outer walls resemble images of the cosmos, yet they portray a model of cancer tissue made up of tissue fibers, a mass of cancer cells, and swarming bacteria. Inside, visitors encounter a room warmed to body temperature. Here, one sees three-dimensional computer-generated projections of cancer tissue models captured through a fluorescence microscope. The densely intertwined tissue fibers glow red and are depicted in detail, allowing viewers to experience the real size relationships. Amidst these, green-glowing bacteria are shown as they carry targeted drugs to tumors.
Wait, did one just move?
Yes! Because this installation is interactive and visitors can take control themselves.
Come and try it out!
Scientific Talks
The following talks will give a closer look at the science behind the exhibition. They are free of charge and accessible to the public.
Tuesday, 31.10.2023, 17.30 – 18.30, NO D 45
Magnetische Helfer: Wie Bakterien bei der Krebsbekämpfung unterstützen
Stefano Menghini, Pascal Poc, PhD Students in the Responsive Biomedical Systems Lab, ETH Zürich
Um zielgenaue Tumorbekämpfung zu ermöglichen, ohne im menschlichen Körper Schaden anzurichten, entwickeln wir magnetische Bakterien, die sich gezielt steuern lassen. Diese können an betroffenen Stellen im Körper als Mittel gegen Krebs wirken. Entweder können sie direkt als Antikrebsmittel verwenden werden, oder andere Therapien genau dort abgeben, wo sie gebraucht werden.
This lecture is in German.
Monday, 13.11.2023, 17.30 – 18.30, NO D 45
Controlling your intestinal jungle?
Emma Wetter Slack, Professor of Mucosal Immunology, ETH Zürich
So, you think you are human? In fact, you have roughly as many microbial cells inhabiting your large intestine as you have human cells in your entire body. In recent years we are beginning to understand the potential impact these microbes have on diverse aspects of our health and consequently, there is a renewed interest in understanding how we can control these microbes that live in us and on us. In this talk we will explore recent advances in tools to understand the microbiome and how we can use the gut immune system to manipulate which microbes can thrive.
This lecture is in English.
Thursday, 16.11.2023, 17.30 – 18.30, NO D 45
The microbiome as driver of cancer metastasis and therapeutic target
Michael Scharl, Senior Physician, Deputy Clinic Director Research and Teaching Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, USZ
The microbiome has been associated with many diseases, particularly also the onset of cancer. Recent data demonstrate not only that specific bacteria invade the tumor tissue potentially promoting tumorigenesis, but also that the intestinal microbiome modulates therapy outcomes and side effects and thus patient outcomes. Recently, modulation of the intestinal microbiome has also gained high interest as a novel therapeutic target in cancer therapy. Studies using fecal microbiota transplantation have demonstrated that microbiome modulation might be able to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy in melanoma patients. Thus, novel and more defined microbiome-based approaches might be useful in the future to improve cancer therapy and finally patient care.
This lecture is in English.
Finissage: Monday, 27.11.2023, 17.30 – 18.30, NO D 45
The autobiography of a gut bacterium
Florian Schmidt, senior scientist at the Laboratory for Biological Engineering, ETH Zürich
Step into the mesmerizing world of your gut's secret diaries—picture tiny bacteria penning their own autobiographies of life inside you! We will delve into a groundbreaking technology called Record-seq. Think of it as giving your gut microbiome the ability to jot down their experiences, creating a unique record of how they react to your diet and well-being. This captivating method, powered by CRISPR spacer acquisition, unveils the tales of these microbial 'authors,' chronicling their interactions and responses within your gut. Experience the wonder of how this 'microbial storytelling' can potentially transform our understanding of health and vitality. It's an adventure into the unseen, offering new insights into the fascinating link between synthetic biology and your gut!
This lecture is in English.
Susanne M. Winterling is an artist, art researcher and professor of art, currently at the National Academy of the Arts Oslo, Norway. She works in a variety of media, including film, photography, sculpture, and performance. She is best known for her installations anchored in the now, which critically examine representations of reality. Her work often uses the form of spatial constellations to explore concepts of modernity, power structures, and hierarchical historiographies.
Simone Schürle-Finke is professor of Responsive Biomedical Systems at ETH Zurich. Her vision is to build tiny robots that can travel through the body to detect and treat disease, enable personalized diagnostics, and improving treatment outcomes. With her team, she researchers the development and control of microrobots to study disease mechanisms, report disease-related molecular signals and administer medications more effectively.
Venue
focusTerra
external page Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
Exhibition Hours
Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00
Sat closed
Sun 10:00-16:00
Free admission
focusTerra
focusTerra, the Earth & Science Discovery Center of ETH Zurich, inspires through knowledge and empowers people to understand their natural and human-made environment to act responsibly within it.
Cooperation partner
The artist would like to thank Prof. Dr Simone Schürle-Finke, Ahmad Esmail, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Stefanie Hessler, Schering Stiftung Berlin, especially Christina Landbrecht, ETH Zurich, Bjørnar Sporsheim, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at NTNU, Cellular & Molecular Imaging Core Facility (CMIC) at NTNU, Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (Diku), Empty Gallery Hong Kong, Ivan the terrible, Whitehead Institute MIT, the working group on Dark Matter, Anti Matter and Condensed Matter, ARIKA, TBA21-Academy, Anne Karin Furunes, The Responsive Biomedical Systems Lab at ETH Zurich, especially Daphne Asgeirsson, Tinotenda Gwisai, Simone Hersberger, Nima Mirkhani, Thuy Trinh Nguyen, Anna Scheeder, and Thomas Valentin, as well as Trondheim Science Center.
Contact
Media contact
Access the press kit here.