FOSSIL IDENTITIES

Fossils have preserved information from millions of years ago. Some of them still contain DNA of ancient organism. How well it has been preserved depends on the surrounding conditions. Fossilised bones for example have well protected structures due to the calcification process by mineral producing bacteria. This project uses the ability of the bacterium Bacillus pasteurii to produce layers of calcium carbonate around strands of DNA. Combined with the latest scientific achievement to transcribe digital data into DNA it is possible to create our own digital fossils that contain any information we want – all of this on such a tiny scale that we can carry it around with us. The idea is a collection of pearls, each containing information about a different life. The pearls can be swapped between different pieces of jewellery.