this is our character B2-1, grown in a lab
each "pixel" is actually a bunch of bacteria cells designed by scientists to glow a specific color.
the entire process went something like:
1.) our pal wampa designed a pixel art of B2-1
2.) scientists at Ginkgo Bioworks determined which of the 11 available colored strains of fluorescent E. coli to use for each "pixel"
3.) bacteria cultures were precisely, automatically deposited onto a specialized tray containing a growth medium with all the nutrients the bacteria needs to divide (ie. grow!)
4.) after allowing the bacteria to grow at a precise temperature for about a day, the "fluorescent bacterial artwork" was ready to be photographed!
FUN FACT: the specific strain of E. coli used to grow this artwork is called "BL21," which is almost the same as "B2-1"
wow, what a coincidence.