Explore how art–science collaboration and creative arts can spark new ways of thinking in research with David Harris & Anastasia Tyurina
Event Details:
Date: Friday, February 13th, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM (In-person)
Venue: The Precinct, Level 2/315 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
SBA Seminar
Join us for an inspiring evening on the power of collaboration across disciplines. The Brisbane node of Synthetic Biology Australasia (SBA) is thrilled to host two exceptional speakers working at the intersection of creativity, science, and technology: Dr David Harris and Dr Anastasia Tyurina (QUT).
• Dr Harris will explore what becomes possible when artists and scientists collaborate, not just by “communicating science,” but by genuinely co-producing new ideas, methods, and outcomes that neither field could easily achieve alone. He’ll share examples from his bioart and interactive public art practice, including projects using plants and other media as platforms for “biological text generation,” and introduce practical archetypes of collaboration that can help teams set expectations and build stronger partnerships.
• Dr Tyurina will discuss scientific imaging as an artistic medium, how images created for measurement and evidence can also operate as creative works that shape interpretation, emotion, and meaning. Drawing on her practice in visual communication and new media art, she will explore how microscopy (including scanning electron microscopy) can be used to reveal unfamiliar aesthetics in the micro-world, and how artistic decisions, such as colour, framing, scale, and context, can transform scientific imagery into a powerful form of art–science storytelling.
Don’t miss this chance to hear two compelling perspectives on how creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration can reshape the way we work, discover, and innovate.
Dr David Harris
Co-Producing the Unexpected: Archetypes of Collaboration Between Art and Science
Dr Harris is an independent artist, designer, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice spans bioart and interactive public art. His PhD research at Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design developed a taxonomic framework for understanding and innovating in artist–scientist collaboration. He has lectured in design and media in Australia and the United States, including completing an MFA in Digital Arts & New Media and teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in Physics and artist-in-residence at UQ. Previously, he spent 15 years in the United States as a research physicist and science communicator, including as founding editor-in-chief of Symmetry magazine and Deputy Communications Director at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
In this talk, he will showcase examples from his own practice, including biological text generation using plants and other media, and outline recurring archetypes of collaboration that describe how art–science teams form, work, and produce outcomes.
Dr Anastasia Tyurina
Scientific Imaging as an Artistic Medium
Dr Anastasia Tyurina is a Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication at QUT’s School of Design. A design researcher and new media artist, her work sits at the intersection of art, science, and technology, with a particular focus on scientific imaging, especially microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as a creative practice. She has published on the artistic potential of SEM imagery, including an article in Leonardo (MIT Press) and an open-access book chapter exploring how SEM images can move beyond documentation to become artworks with cultural and social impact.
In this talk, she will share how scientific images can be re-seen as artistic material—inviting audiences to consider not only what an image shows, but how it is constructed, interpreted, and felt, and how this shift can open new possibilities for art–science collaboration and public engagement.
As always, the event will feature complimentary food and drinks. Enjoy refreshments while networking with fellow synthetic biology enthusiasts, researchers, and professionals.
Please register in advance to secure your spot.
For inquiries, contact sbabrisbane@gmail.com.
We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of discovery, lively discussion, and great company.
Sincerely,
The SBA Team
Explore how art–science collaboration and creative arts can spark new ways of thinking in research with David Harris & Anastasia Tyurina
Event Details:
Date: Friday, February 13th, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM (In-person)
Venue: The Precinct, Level 2/315 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
SBA Seminar
Join us for an inspiring evening on the power of collaboration across disciplines. The Brisbane node of Synthetic Biology Australasia (SBA) is thrilled to host two exceptional speakers working at the intersection of creativity, science, and technology: Dr David Harris and Dr Anastasia Tyurina (QUT).
• Dr Harris will explore what becomes possible when artists and scientists collaborate, not just by “communicating science,” but by genuinely co-producing new ideas, methods, and outcomes that neither field could easily achieve alone. He’ll share examples from his bioart and interactive public art practice, including projects using plants and other media as platforms for “biological text generation,” and introduce practical archetypes of collaboration that can help teams set expectations and build stronger partnerships.
• Dr Tyurina will discuss scientific imaging as an artistic medium, how images created for measurement and evidence can also operate as creative works that shape interpretation, emotion, and meaning. Drawing on her practice in visual communication and new media art, she will explore how microscopy (including scanning electron microscopy) can be used to reveal unfamiliar aesthetics in the micro-world, and how artistic decisions, such as colour, framing, scale, and context, can transform scientific imagery into a powerful form of art–science storytelling.
Don’t miss this chance to hear two compelling perspectives on how creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration can reshape the way we work, discover, and innovate.
Dr David Harris
Co-Producing the Unexpected: Archetypes of Collaboration Between Art and Science
Dr Harris is an independent artist, designer, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice spans bioart and interactive public art. His PhD research at Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design developed a taxonomic framework for understanding and innovating in artist–scientist collaboration. He has lectured in design and media in Australia and the United States, including completing an MFA in Digital Arts & New Media and teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in Physics and artist-in-residence at UQ. Previously, he spent 15 years in the United States as a research physicist and science communicator, including as founding editor-in-chief of Symmetry magazine and Deputy Communications Director at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
In this talk, he will showcase examples from his own practice, including biological text generation using plants and other media, and outline recurring archetypes of collaboration that describe how art–science teams form, work, and produce outcomes.
Dr Anastasia Tyurina
Scientific Imaging as an Artistic Medium
Dr Anastasia Tyurina is a Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication at QUT’s School of Design. A design researcher and new media artist, her work sits at the intersection of art, science, and technology, with a particular focus on scientific imaging, especially microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as a creative practice. She has published on the artistic potential of SEM imagery, including an article in Leonardo (MIT Press) and an open-access book chapter exploring how SEM images can move beyond documentation to become artworks with cultural and social impact.
In this talk, she will share how scientific images can be re-seen as artistic material—inviting audiences to consider not only what an image shows, but how it is constructed, interpreted, and felt, and how this shift can open new possibilities for art–science collaboration and public engagement.
As always, the event will feature complimentary food and drinks. Enjoy refreshments while networking with fellow synthetic biology enthusiasts, researchers, and professionals.
Please register in advance to secure your spot.
For inquiries, contact sbabrisbane@gmail.com.
We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of discovery, lively discussion, and great company.
Sincerely,
The SBA Team
Good to know
Highlights
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- In person
Location
The Precinct
315 Brunswick Street
Level 2 Stair Stadium Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006
How do you want to get there?
