Abstract:Background Microbial agar art is an innovative form of science education and popularization that combines microbial cultivation techniques with artistic creation. In recent years, it has gradually emerged in university education and science popularization activities. However, a systematic technical framework for such practices is still lacking.Objective To systematically summarize a set of key technical schemes for microbial agar art creation, and to provide replicable practical cases for integrating ideological and political education into microbiology courses, reforming laboratory teaching, and organizing science popularization activities.Methods On the basis of the practical experience from our university’s team competitions and analysis of outstanding cases, we selected the distinctive bacterial species with vibrant colors, such as Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, and green fluorescent protein-expressing Escherichia coli, as “paints” and systematically studied their cultivation characteristics and color expression patterns. Innovative techniques, including multi-strain cooperative inoculation, temporal control of inoculation, preparation of colored culture media, and enzyme-induced foaming reactions, were employed.Results A technical system centered on pre-experiment-temporal control-multi-method integration was established, enabling precise color expression and stable reproduction of complex patterns. Two technical paradigms, active drawing and guided growth, were proposed and analyzed in terms of their applicability and aesthetic characteristics.Conclusion This study provides a referential and replicable technical framework and practical cases for microbial agar art creation. It can effectively serve microbiology teaching and science popularization in higher education institutions, demonstrating the unique scientific beauty and artistic charm of the microbial world.
