A retired microbiologist, Lanier now works on the project Invisible Dynamics, an interdisciplinary project that invites art/science research teams to explore the systems and behaviors, both urban and natural, that give the San Francisco Bay Area its definitive character. The project engages the domains of art, design, cultural geography, cartography, information design, sociology, archeology, hydrology, ecology, marine sciences, and history. Utilizing an array of media technologies, this initiative invites artist research teams to explore and design interpretive methods of field research, system detection, and cartography.