Sometimes it’s tiny spheres, but more often it comes in the form of a matte, whitish powder. Neither one looks particularly spectacular. And yet, it is supposed to work minor miracles – at least on the farm. What is it? Probiotics: living microorganisms such as Lactobacillales (an order of bacteria found in lactic acid) or yeast that is added to animal feed – and are then supposed to boost a pig’s health from inside its intestine.

Art and functionality – it’s not generally considered a fortunate combination. The demand for aesthetic autonomy, which first became popular around 1800, still exerts a huge influence on artists and audiences.

It is supposed to respond to drugs and help reduce animal testing – artificial skin created in a lab. Pharmacology professor Günther Weindl and his working group at the Institute of Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin are working on developing skin models as the basis for drug tests, thereby simulating inflammatory skin diseases.