Man’s Best Friend’s Worst Enemies

BIO

    

We are a group of veterinarians, clinicians and research scientists in the Veterinary  College of UCD, specialising in the study of animal pathogens, particularly those that infect companion animals and livestock.

http://www.ucd.ie/vetmed/veterinary_pathobiology.html

 

Our work involves the diagnosis of microbes, protozoans and parasites and treatment of the diseases they cause as well as fundamental research into the basis of disease, elucidation of immune response and development of protective vaccines. Collectively we have accumulated literally hundreds of images of pathogens and have substantial knowledge about their life cycles and infection pathways.  We have a strong commitment to public access to science and are interested in sharing our knowledge with a broader audience.

 

 

 

VISIONS FOR THE PROJECT

Our installation will explore the theme of zoonosis, specifically the transmission of pathogens from pets to humans. These pathogens range from bacteria, fungi, protozoa and worms to arthropods and can cause mild to serious disease in humans. Under magnification they are very interesting and visually attractive.

 

     The installation will run along the length of a wall. The initial visual impact will be a large mural. On the left panel (panel 1), images of companion animals, cats and dogs, move toward the “infection interface”.  On the right panel (panel 3), their human owners also move toward the interface where they will be exposed to the microorganisms living on or in their beloved pets.   The “infection interface” (panel 2) is illuminated by videos of everyday activities that bring us into contact with our pets. The concept portrayed is that of horizontal transmission, that we can be infected by organisms harbored by our pets.

 

     The “infection interface” is an area that extends out from the wall.  The viewer is invited to move in closer to peer through a series of porthole “microscopes” through which striking and evocative images of the different infectious organisms will be displayed on screens as slideshows. The exhbition will incorporate microscopic images of the spirochaete Leptospira, causal agent of Weil’s disease, ringworm, Toxocara canis, and the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania, the tape worm Echinococcus, fleas, lice and ticks.   In this way, the viewer is drawn in for a closer look at the agents of infection, points of infection and consequences of infection (disease).