The project TRIP MARKS combines art, science, sports and adventure in form of a cycling trip. Wolfgang Burtscher, has started his journey on February 8th, 2012. During this trip he is riding a bicylce through 19 countries and will document his journey with TRIP MARKS on 21 x 21 cm pre-embossed with his tire tread sheets. These sheets are daily signed with the bike tires and supplemented by GPS coordinates and occasionaly decorated with memorandums that locals write. In addition to the artistic documentation, a scientific investigation will be done by Heribert Insam (Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck). There, the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria on the tire tracks will be analysed. Using the denaturing – gradient – gel electrophoresis, changes in the microbial community over the duration of the trip will be analysed and described. After the travel the TRIP MARKS will be presented in exhibitions in Austria and other countries as well. This trip is a travelogue with a difference. Eventually, on this journey you will find about 365 paper documents and electrophoresis gels, which can be understood as projection screens for wanderlust, dreams and aspirations. While going through IR IRAN, Mr. Burtscher was invited to stay at Isfahan University of Technology to share his observations with the faculty of Soil Sciences. During his stay at IUT, Wolfgang visited with some faculty members of the College of Agriculture and had a meeting with the director and deputy of IUT‘s International Scientific Cooperation Office. Wolfgang left Isfahan in early Tuesday morning, May 23rd, 2012 and headed to Shiraz to visit Perspolis and other anciant monuments in the province of Fars. It is predicted that he finishes his journey from Austria to Thailand in February 2013. For further information and to see Wolfgang’s daily trip reports you may visit the following website: www.tripmarks.at.