II. Poetry at Nanoscale

Nanoscale science is concerned with physical interactions at extremely minute dimensions—one nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter. A strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometers in diameter, while a sheet of paper is nearly 75,000 nanometers thick. Nanostructures can be made by reacting chemicals in liquids or gasses, or by etching with electrons. In nature, the iridescent colors of some butterfly wings contain nanostructures that affect light waves.

Detail of poem strand suspended in silk film, microscopic view of letters
Detail of poem strand suspended in silk film, microscopic view of letters

In 2016, Bervin began working with Tufts’ scientists on fabricating her poetry at nanoscale. In this process, a mask is used to etch the poem in gold spatter onto a silicon wafer, and then liquid silk is poured over the wafer. As the silk dries, the letters remain suspended in the film. The etched version of Bervin’s poem could be viewed at the exhibition’s microscope station.

Photographs of poem through the microscope

Bervin’s poem is modeled on silk at the DNA level—the six-character repeat of the silk genome is the basis for the poem’s six-letter line. The shape of the strand reflects both the filament pattern that silkworms create when making their cocoons and the genetic structure of silk, which forms like the weft thread in weaving.

Silkworm patterned filament in a cocoon
Silkworm patterned filament in a cocoon

Contemporary silk research includes scientists dating the genetic split between domestic silkworms and their wild cousins (Bombyx mandarina), as well as a focus on altering the genetic code of silkworms to create fibers from cocoons that can be woven into a material stronger than steel and more flexible than Kevlar. Other recent innovations involve developing materials from silk fibers that are naturally antimicrobial, and the fabrication of silk screws for stabilizing broken bones.