Tal Danino’s day job at Columbia University, New York, is engineering “living” medicines. “We program microbes for cancer therapy using synthetic biology,” he says. As a side hustle he manipulates and photographs the microbial world; his images are collected in a book, Beautiful Bacteria. Taking bacteria from substances such as wastewater, dental plaque or kimchi, Danino lets them multiply in a petri dish, adding dyes. The results are artworks differing from the digital enhancements often made in scientific photography to make images more informative. Indeed, he says, the microbes deserve some credit: “They do often deviate from our plans, becoming active collaborators in the creation of the work.”

Beautiful Bacteria: Encounters in the Microuniverse is published by Rizzoli (£38.50). To order a copy for £33.88 go to guardianbookshop.com or call 020-3176 3837