The image here was taken after decolourization and staining with the secondary dye

The acid fast stain is important in the diagnosis of mycobacterial diseases. Here the acid fast stain ( Kinyoun method), has been used to stain the mycobacteria on the textile. The image here was taken after addition of the carbol fuschin primary stain

Mycobacterium species have been grown on the garment’s fabric

Momento mori would be both a reminder and a warning for the devasting impact of bacterial diseases. In developed countries today, many of these illnesses are  controlled by the use of  antibiotic treatments and vaccination programs. However, these diseases still cause death on a massive scale in the developing world, and as antibiotic, and now vaccination resistant strains emerge,  perhaps they will do so again in our modern cities. Momento mori will be a garment where each of the  beautiful and coloured designs is actually made from an infamously pathogenic bacterium. The first design is this rose, made from Mycobacterium species, bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy.