The visit to the lab of Dr. Yang Yang fascinated me. It made me realize the importance of color. When we learned about quantum dots it was explained that the color they appear is because of their size. 
Then seeing the algae in Dr. Yang Yang’s lab and how it gave off a blue color when agitated made me see how important color was and how much it can tell you about its properties. The lab chose to use an alga that produces a blue glow because the blue color tells us it is the smallest but contains the most energy. The algae use this trait as a defense mechanism against predators. Instead of having a way to disguise themselves or blend in with their surroundings they have something that shows where they are. Weirdly enough this protects them because the light attracts large fish to the area that eat the fish preying on the algae.
A good example of how art and science work together was in the Dunn lab. I saw this in the material Sol Gel which is a material that can be used in many different types of applications. Two diverse examples they told us were that they used Sol Gel in making the material for the Marines that prevents them from being aimed at with laser technology and using it in making beautiful sculptures. I was amazed at how diverse this material can be. It made me think that if this type of technology is being used in so many ways now the future may hold an even more efficient and diverse material. 
Sol Gel
http://www.chemat.com/html/solgel.html
https://www.llnl.gov/str/Lee.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/glowingalgae/