BioArt
Projects
The Scientist
The BioArtist
Viral Symmetries
Cellular Entities
Cellular Portrait
BioArtist
“I believe everything is connected, from the very beginning of the universe—a continuum that is difficult to grasp from our biased perspective, yet always present for contemplation. My works are abstractions and allegories of the macroscopic world, intertwined with the microscopic, molecular, and quantum realms, establishing a dialogue between these scales. I enjoy creating vast landscapes using living materials through the development and application of cell and molecular biology techniques, then diving into these spaces to explore them using fluorescence microscopy. Sometimes, I discover meaningful scenes that allow me to connect with a side of myself that is not always accessible, bringing those insights into my conscious awareness. The resulting photomicrographs are either honest expressions of this inner entity or the foundational elements for composing other works using digital visual programming tools. I try to keep the window open for others, as this BioArt not only utilizes organic elements in its technique but also depends on the social, emotional, biological, and cultural dimensions of the viewer. For me, it’s a way to find meaning and beauty, while sharing the secrets of the unseen with others”.
Academic background
Jorge L. Arias-Arias (b. 1985), known professionally as Dulbecco, holds an undergraduate degree in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry, a master's degree in Microbiology, and a Ph.D. in Sciences from the University of Costa Rica. Currently, he serves as a full professor at the same institution, affiliated with the Section of Cellular and Molecular Biology within the Faculty of Microbiology. He is also a researcher at the Research Center on Tropical Diseases (CIET) and the Research Center on Surgery and Cancer (CICICA), where he focuses on developing and validating research methods based on genetically encoded molecular sensors and live-cell fluorescence imaging. His work has applications in virology, bacteriology, cellular biology, cancer, and neurosciences, among other fields. These molecular and imaging tools also form the foundation of his work in BioArt. His transdisciplinary approach merges science and art, revealing the hidden beauty of biological processes to broader audiences.
Journal articles
2018 Arias-Arias J.L., Vega-Aguilar F., Corrales-Aguilar E., Hun L., Loría G.D., and Mora-Rodríguez R. Dengue virus infection of primary human smooth muscle cells. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 99: 1451-1457. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0175
2020 Arias-Arias J.L., MacPherson D.J., Hill M.E., Hardy J.A., and Mora-Rodríguez R. A fluorescence-activatable reporter of flavivirus NS2B-NS3 protease activity enables live imaging of infection in single cells and viral plaques. J Biol Chem. 295: 2212-2226. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.011319
2021 Arias-Arias J.L., and Mora-Rodríguez R. Generation and implementation of reporter BHK-21 cells for live imaging of flavivirus infection. Bio-protocol 11(5): e3942. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3942
2021 Arias-Arias J.L., Corrales-Aguilar E., and Mora-Rodríguez R. A fluorescent real-time plaque assay enables single-cell analysis of virus-induced cytopathic effect by Live cell imaging. Viruses 13: 1193. doi: 10.3390/v13071193
2021 Arias-Arias J.L., Vega-Aguilar F., Picado-Soto D., Corrales-Aguilar E., and Loría G.D. In vitro inhibition of Zika virus replication with amantadine and rimantadine hydrochlorides. Microbiol. Res. 12: 727-738. doi: 10.3390/microbiolres12030052
2021 Quiros-Fernandez I., Figueroa-Protti L., Arias-Arias J.L., Brenes-Cordero N., Siles F., Mora J, Mora-Rodríguez R.A. Perturbation-based modeling unveils the autophagic modulation of chemosensitivity and immunogenicity in breast cancer cells. Metabolites 11: 637. doi: 10.3390/metabo11090637
2021 Acón M., Geiß C., Torres-Calvo J., Bravo-Estupiñan D., Oviedo G., Arias-Arias J.L., Rojas-Matey L.A., Baez E., Vásquez-Vargas G., Oses-Vargas Y., Guevara-Coto J., Segura-Castillo A., Siles-Canales F., Quirós-Barrantes S., Régnier-Vigouroux A., Mendes P., Mora-Rodríguez R. MYC dosage compensation is mediated by miRNA-transcription factor interactions in aneuploid cancer. iScience 24: 103407. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103407
2023 Arias-Arias J.L., Molina-Castro S.E., Monturiol-Gross L., Lomonte B., and Corrales-Aguilar E., Stable production of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain in mammalian cells with co-expression of a fluorescent reporter and its validation as antigenic target for COVID-19 serology testing. Biotechnology Reports 37, e00780. doi: 10.1016/j.btre.2022.e00780.
2025 Arias-Arias J.L., Monturiol-Gross L., and Corrales-Aguilar E., A live-cell imaging-based fluorescent SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay by antibody-mediated blockage of receptor binding domain-ACE2 interaction. BioTech 14, 10. doi: 10.3390/biotech14010010
Book chapters
2021 Arias-Arias J.L., and Mora-Rodríguez R. Fluorescence imaging approaches in flavivirus research. In Human Viruses: Diseases, Treatments and Vaccines, pp 713–729, Springer Link. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-71165-8_34
2023 Arias-Arias J.L., and Céspedes-Tenorio D. The virus-induced cytopathic effect. In Virus Infected Cells, pp 197–203, Springer Link. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-40086-5_7
Group exhibitions
- 2011 Expo Foto, La Casa del Cuño, Antigua Aduana, San José, Costa Rica
- 2017 La No Bienal, Gráfica Genesis, San José, Costa Rica
- 2024 Amalgama: Uniendo la Ciencia y el Arte, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
Solo exhibitions
- 2025 El Científico, Galería del Consejo Universitario, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica