# WCCChallenge: Phages

## Phageologies : Battle In the Intestines

For this week's Creative Code Challenge by @[@sableRalph](@sableRalph) : ***Animated Bacteriophages,*** I decided to do some research on Phages and sonify a probable scenario of where Phages are attacking bacteria (to reflect the animated portion of the Prompt) while a person eating it through **SonicPi.**

The first task for the WCCC was to figure out more information about Phages, Below is some of the information I gathered and under the "Reading/Reference" Header, you can see where I sourced the information from:

## Poetry

***This isn't a new battle stage  
Or an update for the Phages  
This is a routine location  
As embedded in their phases  
As bacteria lurks in the Intestines  
Who shall win this time?  
with their new winning formulation?***

## Audio

<iframe width="100%" height="300" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1483337287&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe>

[IllestPreacha](https://soundcloud.com/llestreacha) · [Phageologies Battlefield In The Guts](https://soundcloud.com/llestreacha/phageologies-battlefield-in-the-guts)

## Information Taken

While Taking a look at the information, I used the following for the design :

* Phages are the Most abundant biological group on Earth - (**Łusiak-Szelachowska M et al, 2020)**
    
    * Showcased this by having threads represent the different strands of phages in the piece that are attacking the bacteria
        
* Phages are located everywhere but the main task is to destroy bacteria as they don't attack human cells.
    
    * One of the interesting ecosystems containing Phages is the Human Guts. (**Łusiak-Szelachowska M et al, 2020)**
        
        * For this, I recorded food related sounds in SonicPi and remixed them
            
* In some ecosystems, there is a 10 to 1 ratio of Phages vs Bacteria (**Clokie et al, 2011)**
    
    * This can be seen within the sleep function as the numbers are smaller in ratio to the bacteria sound functions.
        

Comments in the code explain the Design choices that take in the information above

## Code

### Phages attacking Bacteria in the Intensines

```ruby
=begin
The guitar sounds are representing the phages and their quest of vanishing the bacteriums

There will be mutliple thraeds of phages to embody their abundance

Every eight loops, there will be a beep to symbolize a bacteria that was taken out

The bacteria are represnted by synths
=end


x = 0
live_loop :phages_set1 do
  
=begin

The Amp parameter is also representing the 8to 1 ratio but with a dice randomizer
In one source, they mentioned 70% of marine bacteria contains Phages
This can be seen within the Spread function that uses Euclidean rhyhtms 

=end

  sample :guit_em9, beat_stretch: 2 , amp: dice(8) if spread(7,10).tick
  

  
  if x % 8 == 0
    with_fx :distortion, distort: 0.9 do
      with_fx :echo do
        sample :elec_beep, amp: 7
      end
    end
  end
  
  sleep [0.8,1.2,1.6].choose
  
  
end

#A Different Strand of Phages

live_loop :phages_set2 do
  
  with_fx :ping_pong do
    sample :guit_em9, beat_stretch: 10, amp: dice(8) if spread(5,12).tick
  end
  
  puts x
  
  x += 1

 
  if x % 8 == 0
    with_fx :echo do
      with_fx :echo do
        sample :elec_beep, amp: 7, beat_stretch: 2
      end
    end
    
  end
  
  sleep [0.6,1,2].choose
end



live_loop :bacteria do
  with_fx :krush, mix: 0.67 do
    use_synth :piano
    play_pattern chord(:E3, :m7), sustain: 12, decay: 14
  end
  
  sleep [8,12,16].choose
end


live_loop :bacteria2 do
  
  with_fx :ixi_techno, mix: 0.67 do
    use_synth :prophet
    play_pattern chord(:E3, :m7), sustain: 12, decay: 14
  end
  
  sleep [8,12,16].choose
end
```

### Eating to start the upcoming battle between Phages & Bacteria

```ruby
with_fx :vowel, voice: dice(3), mix: 0.5 do
  with_fx :bitcrusher, mix: 0.9, pre_amp: dice(3) do
    with_fx [:whammy,:vowel].choose, mix: rrand(0.1, 0.6) do
      # with_fx :echo , mix: 0.4, decay: dice(2) do
      live_audio :foo
    end
  end
end

```

## Readings/Reference

* Clokie MR, Millard AD, Letarov AV, Heaphy S. Phages in nature. Bacteriophage. 2011 Jan;1(1):31-45. doi: 10.4161/bact.1.1.14942. PMID: 21687533; PMCID: PMC3109452. ([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109452/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109452/))
    
* Kasman LM, Porter LD. Bacteriophages. \[Updated 2022 Sep 26\]. In: StatPearls \[Internet\]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493185/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493185/)
    
* Łusiak-Szelachowska M, Weber-Dąbrowska B, Żaczek M, Borysowski J, Górski A. The Presence of Bacteriophages in the Human Body: Good, Bad or Neutral? Microorganisms. 2020 Dec 16;8(12):2012. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8122012. PMID: 33339331; PMCID: PMC7767151.([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7767151/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7767151/))
    
* [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/bacteriophages](https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/bacteriophages)
    
* [https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/medicine/divisions/idgph/research/center-innovative-phage-applications-and-therapeutics/patient-care/Pages/default.aspx](https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/medicine/divisions/idgph/research/center-innovative-phage-applications-and-therapeutics/patient-care/Pages/default.aspx)