SFBI & Métal Hurlant Collaboration
DNA in All Its Forms: A Dialogue Between Science, Art, and Society
In 2027, the CNRS will organise the thematic year "DNA in All Its Forms", an initiative dedicated to exploring the many dimensions of this essential molecule, from scientific advancements to societal challenges. Coordinated by the CNRS Research Groups Molecular Bioinformatics: Modelling and Methodology (BIMMM) and Fundamental Computer Science and Its Mathematics (IFM), in partnership with the French Society for Bioinformatics (SFBI), this year promises to bring together researchers, artists, and citizens for collective reflection.
A Special Issue with Métal Hurlant: When Science Inspires Art
As part of this initiative, the SFBI is collaborating with the legendary magazine Métal Hurlant, where science, art, and storytelling have intersected for decades. The goal? To create a special issue dedicated to DNA, where trios of researchers, writers, and illustrators will collaborate to produce original visual and literary narratives. These collaborations, facilitated by the collective La Coulisse, will explore themes from our research, including:
- Artificial intelligence applied to DNA,
- Genetic modifications using CRISPR,
- Synthetic biology,
- Metagenomics,
- Evolution,
- Information storage on DNA molecules,
- and more…
Combining Scientific Rigour with Creative Freedom
This project aims to make complexity accessible while sparking curiosity, emotion, and reflection. By pairing researchers (PhD students, postdocs, and permanent staff) with creators, we offer an immersive dive into DNA that is informative, engaging, and thought-provoking, sharing our research in an innovative and accessible way.
Selection Process for Proposals
Proposals will be evaluated in two stages: an ad hoc scientific committee will first assess their thematic relevance, originality, and pedagogical coherence, with the possibility of merging some proposals to enhance their impact. Pre-selected projects will then be reviewed by the Métal Hurlant editorial team, which will make the final selection based on narrative strength and visual potential. Due to editorial constraints, not all proposals can be included in this special issue.
By participating in this project, you commit to:
- Submitting a proposal (plain language summary of your research up to 200 words) aligned with your research themes and expertise,
- Actively collaborating with writers and illustrators—and possibly other researchers—through regular exchanges, working meetings, and scientific oversight of the narratives, potentially in English,
- Investing time over several months to support the creation of the works, providing your expertise while allowing artistic freedom,
- Seeing your work interpreted freely: the narratives will draw inspiration from your research but will not aim to provide a literal or complete representation.
What We Expect From You
- Availability and responsiveness: Participate in exchanges and meetings to guide artists on scientific aspects while respecting their creative process,
- Open-mindedness: Accept that narratives may explore original angles, sometimes distant from a strictly academic perspective,
- Flexibility: Some proposals may be merged, involving teams of researchers rather than individual contributions.
To participate (Deadline: 22 April 2026) : https://www.sfbi.fr/survey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=388832&newtest=Y&lang=fr.