Meet UTS researchers as they share their knowledge about the gut microbiome. Tap into your own gut feelings and craft textile microbes, gut cells and intestinal villi at our knit-in where you will learn about the gut and have fun as you knit, crotchet or wrap textile artefacts.
Be part of the Gut Feelings community art project
Your creations will be used as part of a giant gut artwork that will be on display in National Science Week in August.
The Gut Feelings Community Art Project promotes connections between science and the everyday. No matter what your skill level, try your hand at crocheting, knitting, weaving or stitching as you discover fascinating facts about the gut microbiome from our brilliant research scientists.
With the aim of promoting gut health and exploring the gut-brain connection, this national community art project is a great opportunity for gut health researchers to showcase their knowledge.
What is the Gut Feelings Project?
New research about the complexity and wonders of the gut microbiome has captured the popular imagination. Artists Pat Pillai, Rita Pearce and Mary Hayman share a history of creating community artworks that promote connections between science and the everyday.
UTS researchers are joining the project to communicate recent developments in how we understand the gut microbiome and what this may mean for our mental health and wellbeing.
Meet the UTS scientists
- Dr Nural Cokcetin is the Faculty Research Engagement Manager for the Faculty of Science and is recognised as a global leader in medicinal honey and bee research. Her presentation about the gut microbiome earned her first place in the FameLab science competition in Australia and runner up internationally.
- Dr Mike Kendig is an ARC DECRA Fellow and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Science. His research investigates the effects of diets high in fat and sugar on behaviour and the gut microbiome.
- Dr Dan Enosi Tuipulotu is a Chancellor’s Research Fellow and Lecturer at UTS in the School of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science and his research focuses on host immunity to infectious diseases and developing novel treatments for microbial infections. He will discuss Clostridium infections such as difficile, septicum and perfringens.
- Dr Amy Bottomley is Senior Research fellow at Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection with expertise in molecular cell biology of bacteria, fluorescence microscopy including super-resolution microscopy techniques, protein purification and protein chemistry.
Meet the artists
Neural Knitworks founding artist Pat Pillai, textile artist Rita Pearce and artist educator Mary Hayman are the artists leading the Gut Feelings project.
Pat, Rita and Mary first collaborated 25 years ago and have worked together on several projects, most recently Neural Knitworks – craft a healthy brain, an award-winning community arts-health engagement program.
Other projects include Artificial Reef in Sculpture by the Sea and Heritable Acts at Hazelhurst (aka The Jacaranda Project).
Pat Pillai and Rita Pearce
Get involved
We invite you to participate in a 90-minute knit in at the UTS Research Excellence and Support Hub (RES Hub).
Be part of the knit-in and contribute to an artwork.
- Come along, pick up some yarn and explore Gut Feelings!
- Discover the science, learn how to craft, meet new people and be inspired!
- Follow scientifically informed patterns to create textile microbes, gut cells and intestinal villi.
- Learn how the gut microbiome interacts with the brain and body.
When: 12.30pm - 2 pm, 5 June 2025
Where: RES Hub CB02.05.250 - Watch a video on how to find RES Hub
Cost: Free
Our creations will be stitched together to form playful renditions of the gut microbiome. These larger-than-life microbes will form a woolly gut cross section to be displayed in an art science exhibition in the Broadhurst Gallery Hazelhurst Art Centre from 15 August – 2 September during National Science Week 2025.
Learn more about the Gut Feelings project.