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Chloé Savard is a Montreal-based artist and microbiologist. Originally trained as a musician, she turned to microbiology as a way to explore new scientific and creative perspectives. Under the pseudonym @tardibabe on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, she uses a microscope and her iPhone to capture striking images and videos of microorganisms—transforming drops of water into mesmerizing visual landscapes. Her work blends art and science, revealing the hidden beauty and complexity of microscopic ecosystems while raising awareness about their fragility.
Her unique approach has earned her two honorable mentions in the 2022 Nikon Small World In Motion competition. She has also showcased her work at events like the SPHÈRE Festival at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Through collaborations with scientific and cultural institutions, Chloé shares her discoveries with a wide audience, helping to democratize microbiology and inspire a new generation of observers of the invisible world.

Vorticella is a single cell ciliate possessing a stalk and is from a group of protozoans called peritrichs. They’re among the first unicellular animals that were observed by humans through a microscope. Peritrichs are very abundant and present all around the globe, making them really easy to find and observe if you’ve got a microscope! Their stalk has the ability to retract like a spring in a matter of of 10-20 mm per second and becomes 20% to 40% shorter as their bell becomes spherical! The bell part of Vorticella can reach a speed up to 60-90 mm per second which is corresponding to 1200 body length per second and makes them one the fastest living microorganisms!
video
portrait
01:40
2022