Micro-HBI: Human-Biology Interaction With Living Cells, Viruses, and Molecules

Lee, S. A., & Riedel-Kruse, I. H.

Frontiers of Computer Science.

Providing the general public with first-hand experiences to microbiology and modern biotechnology is very important. This paper reviews recent advances towards this end, such as novel interactive museum exhibits or hands-on activities for schools. A key aspect of this new field – termed Human-Biology Interaction (HBI) – is that users do not just passively observe living cells through a microscope as is conventionally done, but instead people can truly interact with these cells: For example, humans can draw images that are then projected as light into the microscope – and the photo-responsive cells then respond to these light stimuli in realtime. This particular exhibit is permanently installed at the Exploratorium Science Museum in San Francisco.

Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2022.849887