DNA 11, a company that turns your actual DNA sample into personalized artwork, started in 2005 as a creative endeavor.
The concept melded founders' Nazim Ahmed and Adrian Salamunovic's love for science and art (Ahmed had a genetic background and Salamunovic specialized in design).
Seven years later, DNA 11 has 80 employees and is churning out thousands of one-of-kind art pieces.
Click here to check out DNA 11's Lab >
Purchasing a unique piece of art based on your own genetic code is pretty simple, too. All you have to do is swab the inside of your cheek using a collection kit provided by DNA 11.
The cheek cells are mailed to a lab after being transferred onto a card coated with special chemicals that trap the DNA.
The size, color and frame of your art piece is chosen online.
The founders recently streamlined the production process so that all steps in designing, creating and printing each custom DNA art take place in one state-of-the-art laboratory.
"It's an extremely unique space with people of all different educational and work backgrounds coming together to share ideas," said Ahmed. "Our office environment is all about creativity."
The DNA 11 Lab is located at the company’s global headquarters in Ottawa, Canada.
Once DNA 11 receives your sample, the DNA is extracted from the card. Here, a transfer pipette handles the DNA samples being prepped.
The DNA is placed in a machine that replicates small sequences of DNA, which are used as the base of the image.
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