For nearly four decades I have researched an enigmatic group of fish parasites, the myxozoans. Relatives of free-living jellyfish, sea anemones and corals, myxozoans have shed most of the traits of their larger cousins in favor of adaptations that allow them to become parasites. Thousands of species exist, probably as many or more than there are species of fish, and their adaptations are unique, deadly, and often beautiful. Because these parasites are about the size of a human blood cell, this beauty isn’t visible without the aid of a microscope.

I began these science studies in glass over 20 years ago. Like my research, they have evolved as I learned different techniques and experimented with different forms of artistic abstraction. Equally interesting to me are the tools we use to make scientific discoveries, and how these have changed. As a microbiologist, glass microscope slides are the tools of our trade, but every time I sit down at a microscope it is with the anticipation that something interesting or beautiful will be revealed. The tools of our profession continue to evolve, but their purpose remains to understand and take advantage of beneficial microbes, and to find ways to combat those that are dangerous.