E. Cowli

When one thinks of E. coli, they might correlate it to outbreaks in our food resulting in severe illnesses. Yes, there are strains that cause food poisoning, but most strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) are harmless and even beneficial to humans and other mammals.

Additionally, E. coli is a major scientific collaborator. Studies and experiments with them have lead to breakthroughs in science, health, and biotechnologies. How E. cooli !

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With this in mind, I wanted to work with them to visualize where “bad” strains come from: grain-fed cows, part of industrialized meat and dairy farms. These cows are fed a grain-based diet to increase growth and tenderize their meat. This low fiber diet, however, allows harmful bacteria to proliferate in their guts and are expelled in their feces. Contaminated feces enter our food supply through the cross-contamination of meat in slaughterhouses, and crops through fertilizer or groundwater from nearby farms.
Studies have shown that stomach acids in grass-fed cows, on the other hand, are able to break down a higher percent of harmful E. coli.

This timelapse of 3D printed fluorescent E. coli represents the fact that if more cows were fed grass instead of grain, there would be less breakouts amongst humans. ​​​​​​​And maybe, E. coli would be more broadly appreciated instead of feared.