This October, the petri dish becomes your canvas. Creepy Cultures, our annual Halloween-themed agar art contest, is now open for entries. It is your chance to combine scientific skill with creativity and bring a little fright into the lab.

Each year, microbiologists and lab enthusiasts use microorganisms to design eerie, funny, or downright chilling works of art. The results range from haunted houses and ghostly shapes to imaginative portraits that glow, crawl, or swirl across agar plates.

Not familiar with agar art? The process is simple in concept but spectacular in practice. Artists carefully use sterilized applicators to “paint” with microorganisms on nutrient agar. Different species produce distinct textures and colors, transforming a plain plate into a showpiece.

How to Join the Contest

• Create your design directly on the agar surface using microorganisms as your “paint.”
• Photograph your finished plate and submit it using the online form.

Contest Details

• All artwork must be created using microorganisms grown on agar plates. Alterations with pens, markers, or other non-microbial materials are not allowed.
• Each participant may submit up to two entries.
• Submissions close Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST.
• Winners, chosen by Microbiologics employees, will be announced Thursday, November 6, 2025, on the Microbiologics blog.
• Prizes are awarded per artist, not per entry.