"Movement II - Heatmap" - sample (Recording from performance at "The Meat Inspection", Uppsala on June 10th, 2023)

Different immune cells can be identified using means such as examination using a microscope or by the measurement of the levels of fluorophore labelled antibodies associating with markers on their cell surfaces. The scientist has in this case kept cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells in test tubes, cultured and added compounds to age them experimentally.

By analysis using the dimensionality reduction algorithm, FlowSOM, cells are organised into different groups depending on the abundance of cell surface markers. Data can then be visualised using a heat map with different groups next to each other. A high abundance of a specific marker on the cell surface is visualised with red colour in the heat-map, a blue colour indicates few markers, while yellow colour represents an intermediate level of the marker on the surface.

The markers interpreted in the second movement of this sound art piece are CD27, KLRG1 and CD57. When the CD27 marker is abundant on the CD8+ T cells, this indicate that the cells are undergoing training to recognize and fight virus or cancer cells. Presence of KLRG1 on the cells on the other hand, suggest that the cells is exposed to stress and is ready to defend the body. When CD57 is present on the cells, they are most likely aged and unable to divide any longer.

This particular research aims at understanding whether premature ageing affects the immune cells and whether this can lead to disease. In the sound art piece, recurring elements of dissonance are cutting through the soundscape, indicating a pathological process. These dissonant elements are repeatedly occurring in all four movements.

Johanna Byström Sims

Johanna Byström Sims