GeneMusiK is an experimental biological music mixing and generating system developed by Nigel Helyer, under the aegis of the SymbioticA lab.

Rather than taking given DNA structures and rendering them as musical code, the project takes fragments of Western melody and sequences them as DNA that is then “bred” and “mixed” within bacterial cultures.

DNA extracted from these cultures may then be re-sequenced, translated to musical notation and interpreted as new musical forms.

The first public manifestation of GeneMusiK will probably be body adornments that contain ‘musicalised’ synthetic DNA sequences. Each item will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and an audio CD of the musical sequence.