THE DEEP SEE
Written by Kiran Armanasco and Soyoung Choi
TECHNOLOGY
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VISUAL ART
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CREATIVE WRITING
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SCIENCE
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TECHNOLOGY - VISUAL ART - CREATIVE WRITING - SCIENCE -
THE DEEP SEE
A collaborative piece.
Poem written by Penne al Sugo and STEAMUL8 community.
Image capture and composition by Soyoung Choi (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology; Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Greece).
On a wintry Sunday morning, two collectives came together as one, embraced by the welcoming warmth of Café Oto. The Deep See is a multi-layered artwork born from exploring the beauty that unfolds when creative writing intertwines with biomedical research images.
“...[a chance to reflect] on the impact that visual stimulus can have on our perception of reality and deeper emotions.”
We gathered around together and spent some time looking at these fluorescent microscopy images of the back of the eye (called the retina) captured by Soyoung:
“These are types of images I work with in my research where I’m trying to show what happens to cells in the retina, like immune cells and types of neurons, in degenerative conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and uveitis.”
As we examined the intricate patterns glowing before us, we shared how they made us feel, and merged our collective thoughts into a poem. We experienced how science, poetry, and community can intersect. Perhaps reflecting on the impact that visual stimulus can have on our perception of reality and deeper emotions.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE IMAGES
“It is very exciting to think of all the possibilities that come from seeing the eye as a window on the brain.”
Soyoung: Each clover is a fluorescence microscope image of a retina, a light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. The green cells show a type of immune cell called microglia, and the red, a type of retinal neuron. Microglia change their shapes and function to protect the cells in their surrounding environment, including neurons, in the brain, spinal cord and retina. In disease, they start to malfunction in ways that are yet to be robustly characterised in specific contexts.
Possible shapes that microglia can exist in (Image credits: taken from paper)
The discovery of how immune responses affect the health of the nervous system is an increasingly recognised field of research, not only in normal ageing but also in degenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, glaucoma, and dementias. These features have been conventionally studied in the brain, but in more recent years have also been explored in the eye. These degenerative ‘brain’ diseases also often have eye symptoms like visual distortions, eye pain and hallucinations, where sometimes changes in the eye could even present before the brain.
Unlike the brain and spinal cord, which are covered by layers of skin and bone, the eye is accessible through its clear optical media. This allows imaging machines to shine a light into the back of the eye and capture detailed images of the retina non-invasively. This makes it an ideal route to investigate what is happening deeper in the CNS. It is very exciting to think of all the possibilities that come from seeing the eye as a window on the brain.
REFLECTIONS ON STEAMUL8 YOUR PEN WORKSHOP
Kiran: STEAMUL8 & Penne Al Sugo's workshop was in the works for a very long time. On the one hand, we have the friendship between me and Soyoung to thank for that - I think a lot of the best things in this world are born from these otherworldly womanly friendships. On the other hand, we both have a long-standing curiosity (and perhaps even a faint sense of estrangement) from what the other does.
“...we didn’t have answers, but we had a lot of questions and we knew uniting our communities would spark the discussions we needed to hear”
Could writing silly little poems and comic recipes meet neuroscience? More broadly, we were searching for the intersection of literature and STEM, of course.
We were clear from the outset we didn't have answers, but we had a lot of questions and we knew uniting our communities would spark the discussions we needed to hear. Personally, I also felt a deep craving to create something utilising my friend's mesmerising images. Something that highlighted the distance I felt from them more as awe than fear.
Soyoung: What is the significance behind the title of the piece?
Kiran: It still makes me grin! 'Deep Sea Night Club' is a concept we all collectively cooked up in the workshop. I think it appeals to us who find escapism and peace on the dance floor. However, as many of you may know, our Soyoung is a bit of an eye-guru. So SEA became SEE. & lord knows I love a silly pun!
Welcome PENNE AL SUGO CREW!
A special thanks from Kiran and Soyoung to everyone involved in this project :)
