We posted about DNA 11’s DNA-based art way back in 2008 — basically, you send in a DNA sample, they perform an electrophoretic analysis, and then print a picture of the resulting gel on a nice little bit of canvas or in a glass frame. But between the big prints and the little prints, there hasn’t been much selection when it comes to ways your DNA can be… expressed, if you will.
They’re revamping their website today with a new section, DNA 11 Labs, that has a few new types of art you can choose from and they’re adding a design submission piece as well. The fingerprint bowl is actually pretty cool, though the print could do with a little less contrast.
The other part of the announcement has to do with a crowdsourcing aspect: new designs can be submitted (e.g. a coffee mug with the gel image wrapped around it) and voted on by users. The ones that receive the most votes will be made available in limited quantity. I’m not sure they’re going to have quite the level of competition that would make this kind of system necessary — and the submission page is just text fields. Why not provide some dummy images (gel, retina, thumbprint) and let people submit images as well?
At any rate, the DNA thing is still about as compelling as it was, which is to say, kind of compelling. Not a bad idea for a gift or conversation piece — but I’m not really feeling the $10,000 DNA Water wall.
Have a gene lab tech in your life? Show them you care. Although seeing this when they wake up every morning might remind them of their daily drudgery as much as the uniqueness and value of every human life. It’s a gamble!