DNA artwork created by German university student:
Known as "Visual DNA" these spectacular images are the data visualisation of sequenced animal and plant genes.
German creator Daniel Becker, explains how the process of translating DNA text into colourful symbols is not as complicated as it sounds.
"DNA art interprets the complex information of DNA with the help of symbols and colours," says the 29-year-old from Frankfurt.
"The result is a individual graphic pattern for any creature or plant.
"For the naked eye a DNA sequence is a string of thousands of those four letters.
"So I came up with the idea to interpret these genes into symbols and colours."
A Student of Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz, Daniel also works as a graphic designer.
He first came up with the idea during a study for his University design course.
"A friend of mine showed me the website of the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)," he explains.
"It contains a huge database of hundreds of sequenced organisms, collated by professors, scientist and students.
"A gene is shown in the typically four letter style G, A T and C for the four bases of the DNA.
"But for the naked eye it is not easily possible to see the difference between a human and a shark, because the information is too complex.
"I was very interested in finding a way showing this grid of confusing Gs, As Ts and Cs in a graphical way."
The result was Daniel's DNA art - and he is now finding they have become increasingly popular worldwide.
Costing just five Euros, Daniel saves the patterns into PDF format ready to be printed onto a canvass of the buyers choice.
"I am finding that people are buying a PDF of their favourite animal or plant and printing them out for their homes and offices," he says.
"Younger people are interested in the more dangerous animals and plants - for example the Great White Shark patterns are very popular with men.
"But I also find that the patterns of mice, elephants and koalas are popular amongst women.
"In general the more "strange" the subject like wild mushrooms or dangerous creatures are more popular."
And Daniel is hoping that in years to come, people will be able to use their own DNA to make their own art.
"In the beginning people will have fun to generate a unique graphic to personalise their own lifestyle.
"They can use the graphics to print it on T-shirts, cups, use it as a poster.
"But I guess people will develop the idea. It is more about data visualisation."
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