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A Montreal microbiologist is offering millions of people a glimpse into a hidden universe, and turning microscopic lab work into works of art.
Chloé Savard documents the secret life of microbes from a small lab inside her Montreal apartment, sharing magnified images and videos that reveal a world invisible to the naked eye. Her Instagram account, @tardibabe, has amassed more than a million followers drawn to the beauty and strangeness of the so-called micro-verse.
“It’s like a world that is unseen,” Savard said. “And it’s pretty magnificent.”
Using a microscope and everyday samples, Savard captures images that often look more extraterrestrial than earthly. Butterfly scales resemble intricate mosaics, while the grainy interior of a pear reveals hardened cell walls that “really look like little gems,” she told Global News.
Other posts show trails of bubbles forming in fresh milk, with billions of microbes shifting and shimmering to carefully curated soundtracks. Savard pairs science with music, transforming laboratory observations into short visual experiences that blur the line between research and art.
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She says what began as a pandemic-era hobby has since become a full-time career, complete with viral videos and nostalgic references. Some clips nod to The Magic School Bus, a children’s classic that inspired her to make science playful and accessible.
“I want to take everyone for a ride in my own magical bus,” Savard said with a laugh.
One of her most-viewed posts is also among the most personal. The leaf-like patterns seen under the microscope are actually Savard’s own tears drying as salt crystals formed.
“It was a hard part in my life,” she said. “But I guess I made something positive with it.”
Her favourite subject under the microscope is the tardigrade — a nearly indestructible microorganism often called a water bear. The resilient creature inspired her Instagram handle and serves as a personal symbol.
“They’re really, really resilient animals,” Savard said. “I love to inspire myself from them — to keep going in life and find strength.”
By blending science, art and storytelling, Savard is finding wonder, and helping others find it too, in the smallest places imaginable.
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