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6_SYMBIOSIS - Henry Driver_twitter.jpg — Symbiosis

Creating collaborations underground

Did you know that plants have the ability to communicate with each other through underground networks of fungi? But apart from acting like a communication channel, fungi also helps restore important nutrients to plants, which severely reduces the need to apply chemical fertilisers. Using scientific images obtained by researchers at John Innes Centre, Henry Driver visually re-imagines the symbiotic association between plants and fungi in Symbiosis.

This video artwork explores and visualises the symbiotic relationship which crops can have with phosphate-delivering arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These relationships provide nutrients to the crops, severely reducing the need to apply fertilisers and its associated environmental impacts. The relationship also increases crop disease resistance and the sequestration of carbon. The artwork was created along with inputs from leading John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK) researchers Dr. Myriam Charpentier and Dr. Catherine Jacott. The experience delves into and visualises their research. Such as exploring the calcium signalling which allows the plant to communicate across its various parts, which is central in enabling the symbiosis to occur. These communications prepare the plant for symbiosis by enabling the fungi to enter the root cells, and colonise them creating nutrient exchange points.The video is created by combining Charpentier’s and Jacott’s research imagery and video footage, which is then manipulated, and overlaid with imagery created by the artist Henry Driver.

Medium: Video

Year: 2020

Overlaid imagery taken from the process of symbiosis between plant and fungi. Including calcium signalling and the creation of nutrient exchange points.

Overlaid imagery of calcium signalling which allows the plant to communicate across its various parts, which is central in enabling the symbiosis to occur. — Overlaid imagery of calcium signalling which allows the plant to communicate across its various parts, which is central in enabling the symbiosis to occur.

About the Artists

Henry Driver has shown across the world in cities such as Berlin, Copenhagen, Montreal, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Yokohama, and Taipei. Most recently he was selected by leading curators, as one of the top 15 young artists working in the UK for the Kleinwort Hambros Emerging Artist Prize 2019.

Dr. Myriam Charpentier is a Group Leader who researches Plant Health at the John Innes Centre. She works on nuclear calcium signalling in plants and how these signals are produced in response to environmental and biological stimuli. Her group’s research is furthering our understanding of plant symbiotic interactions by dissecting the molecular encoding mechanism of the symbiotic factor induced nuclear calcium signalling generated by the nuclear calcium channels.

Dr. Catherine Jacott is researching overlaps between colonisation by symbionts and infection by pathogens. She is particularly interested in whether pathogens have evolved to exploit symbiotic pathways to facilitate their infection. Catherine’s research involves Mlo, a gene which confers susceptibility to powdery mildew infection.