Light projections of infectious biological agents that most affect human health including Ebola, Zika and Influenza, will be beamed at spectacular scale onto buildings in The Rocks.
Animating viruses and studying them up close is just one way in which scientists are working to understand them, with a view to developing treatments or preventative vaccines.
"We want visitors to Vivid Sydney to be wowed by the visual beauty of coming face-to-face with some of the world's most deadly viruses and diseases and be reassured that Australian scientists are playing a leading international role in their prevention, detection and treatment," CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Director Rob Grenfell said.
"At CSIRO, our purpose is to solve Australia’s greatest challenges through science. By working with partners like the Garvan Institute and other research organisations, we are working to predict where disease outbreaks might occur, detect their presence and genetic mutations more quickly, and treat them more effectively.
"Some of the world's most important science happens in secure laboratory environments, so it's a rare opportunity for us to be able to provide the Australian public with a glimpse into the science that affects all our lives."
CSIRO manages a high-containment facility so advanced, there are only a few others similar in the world. It is designed to allow scientific research into the most dangerous infectious agents in the world.
CSIRO scientists have also been integral in researching the pathogenicity, or disease causing ability, of different Ebola virus strains. In 2012, CSIRO developed the world's first vaccine to combat the deadly Hendra virus. The vaccine specifically targeting horses was crucial to breaking the cycle of Hendra virus transmission from animals to people.
As most viruses are transmitted from animals to humans, CSIRO scientists are also studying mosquitoes and other insects that carry and transmit disease causing viruses.
This will help improve our knowledge of the viruses they carry, how they develop immunity against them and how to best prevent or manage these animal and human health threats.
Vivid Sydney is a 23-day festival of light, music and ideas – and is the largest of its kind in the world and now the largest event in Australia. In 2018, Vivid Sydney will be held from 25 May-16 June.
CSIRO is participating in Vivid Sydney with the light display as well a range of Vivid Ideas events including:
- Meet the Defenders: protecting us from a deadly outbreak on Monday 28 May 2018 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
- Moonshot or myth: Can Australia be the healthiest country in the world? on Friday 8 June 2018 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Sydney
- Bridging Science, Art and Design (VIZBI Showcase) on Friday 1 June from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
- Data Visualisation Masterclass on Thursday 31 May 2018 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Sydney University of Technology, Ultimo.
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Background information
About Vivid Sydney
Vivid Sydney is the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas and now the largest event in Australia. For 23 days - from 25 May to 16 June 2018 – the event places a spotlight on Sydney and reinforces its position as the home of light, creativity, cutting edge music, engaging conversations and the exchange of new ideas. The festival is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. In 2017 Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.33 million attendees and injected over $143 million into NSW’s visitor economy. For more information visit Vivid Sydney