Thanks to the amazing @helenczerski.bsky.social for creating this monster
Thanks to the amazing @helenczerski.bsky.social for creating this monster
LinkedIn just told me I have been doing this for TWENTY YEARS. Thanks, existential crisis. Looks like I've improved at least?
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Macro photo of a brown stink bug in face view on a leaf, guarding a tightly-clustered bunch of eggs that are shaped and colored exactly like a full tray of dark beer with foam on top.
Finally, the bug is back with a round of the Guinness.
A sample of four of the twenty-four protein renders I made as part of #ArtAdventCalendar, with a variety of materials/styles/colours
Throughout December I made 24 BRAND NEW, daily protein renders for #ArtAdventCalendar, developing some new techniques and pipelines. I learnt a lot about #Blender, #MolecularNodes and compositing along the way!
See them all here:
e-nox.net/molecular-ad...
#SciArt
The poster I presented at VIZBI 2025, showing a series of gorgeous protein visualisations with a range of materials, lighting and styles
A quick write up about the poster I presented at last year's #VIZBI 2025, showing a series of protein renders from experiments learning to use #Blender and #MolecularNodes. Excited for #VIZBI 2026!!!
"Molecular Masterpieces - A Fashion Show of Protein Glow-ups"
e-nox.net/vizbi-molecu...
#SciArt
I spent my New Year's Eve making a very weird Enterprise
This is the "SEA SHEEP" (Costasiella kuroshimae) & it took the old axiom: "you are what you eat" VERY literally.
It eats algae & rather than just digest them, it harvests the chloroplasts & becomes PHOTOSYNTHETIC. Solar slug!
Also, some of its cousins can rip their own heads off.
A close-in image of a protoplanetary disc around a newly formed star. Many different wavelengths of light are combined and represented by separate and various colours. A dark line across the centre is the disc, made of opaque dust: the star is hidden in here and creates a strong glow in the centre. A band going straight up is a jet, while other outflows form flares above and below the disc, and a tail coming off to one side.
๐ Merry Christmas from a newborn star. Earlier this year the NASA/ESA/CSA #Webb Space Telescope took this stunning image of HH30, an edge-on protoplanetary disc. ๐งช๐ญ
๐ esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_investigates_a_dusty_and_dynamic_disc
Visualisation of the inner part of the human nuclear pore, with the inner part of the ring in green, and the outer part highlighted in red, to look like a Christmas wreath
Day 24 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
The nuclear pore complex is a huge pore made of hundreds of proteins, that allows the flow of nucleic acids and proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm. It also looks like a wreath!
Merry Christmas!
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Thanks! ๐ฅฐ
Krebs needs to chill out, and leave some cycles for the rest of us.... ๐คฆ
Visualisation of the structure of the urea channel from helicobacter pylori. It is six-sided, and has a gap in the centre that opens up to allow the urea to pass through
Day 23 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
A urea channel from helicobacter pylori, a bacterium which can survive stomach acid. This channel allows urea to flow into the bacterium, neutralising any stomach acid that would otherwise damage it.
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualsation of the structure of aspartate transcarbamoylase showing its three repeating sub units in blue, orange and purple
Day 22 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
Aspartate transcarbamoylase is a crucial allosteric enzyme, catalysing the first step in pyrimidine ring biosynthesis, which are used to build the bases in RNA and DNA.
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of six zinc fingers (blue) wrapped around a short section of DNA (red)
Day 21 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This shows six zinc fingers bound to a section of DNA, which helps to stabilise it. The zinc fingers are used to control transcription of the gene for ribosomal RNA.
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of a TAL effector protein (purple) wrapped around a section of DNA (red)
Day 20 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This is a TAL effector, a modular protein from bacteria that can read the sequence of bases in DNA. Scientists have harnessed it to target gene knockouts, or insert new genes.
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of the helical structure of the measles nucleocapsid, which forms around the RNA genome, protecting it from attack.
Day 19 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This is the measles virus nucleocapsid, which is a helical complex formed around its RNA genome to protect it from cellular enzymes
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of the piezo1 mechanosensitive channel. Changes in force/pressure cause the protein to change shape, opening up its ion channel. This allows ions to flow into a cell, triggering the cell's sensory response. It is made up of three repeating units (coloured shades of yellow/pink/purple) and has a propellor-like appearance
Day 18 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This is a Piezo1 mechanosensitive channel. Piezo proteins help our cells gain a sense of touch - physical forces/pressures open up the channel, allowing ions to flow into the cell, triggering its response
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Cartoon showing an adult figure sitting on Santa's lap with arm outstreched in 'back-off!' gesture saying '...and I want TWO Nature publications, first author please, and an invited keynote - not the fake kind - and an R01 and a... BACK OFF KID IT'S STILL MY TURN!!!'
What's on your list this year?
When you are cool as hell and you know it:
Me on my laptop making an image of a coronavirus protease, while oblivious people do fencing in the background. They're missing out on so much science.....
Behind the scenes....
Visualisation of the coronavirus protease, shown as the ribbon structure with a semi-transparent surface around it. The two parts of the protease form a heart-shape (from a certain angle)
Day 17 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This is a coronavirus protease, an essential part of the virus' war chest, cutting its RNA into correct pieces, and interfering with the cell's defence mechanisms. So brutal, but at least it's โค๏ธ-shaped
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of secretory antibodies. The antibodies (red/yellow) are joined together via secretory proteins (purple) which can hold two or more antibodies
Day 16 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
These are secretory antibodies, which defend mucosal linings in the body. They contain multiple arms, which bind to many sites on a pathogen, strengthening the interaction.
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of PhotoSystem II supercomplex from an algae that is accustomed to low-light conditions (Chlamydomonas reihardtii). It has six yellow antennae complexes which gather light for photosynthesis.
Day 15 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
The PhotoSystem II supercomplex in plants contains light-gathering antenna complexes (yellow). More antennas means better photosynthesis in low-light conditions (like the version shown with SIX antennas).
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of the eastern equine encephalitis virus, shown as bluey/purple, with pinkish red surface glycoproteins
Day 14 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
The equine encephalitis virus doesn't just affect horses, it's zoonotic and passes between animals & humans - being most prevalent circulating in bird species. It has 240 surface glycoproteins ready to go
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Thanks! ๐ Yes, exactly that - it's made in Blender and After Effects, but it's the real science structure, which comes from x-ray crystallography data
www.rcsb.org/structure/3J2T
Thanks! ๐ฅฐ Yes, it's all from PDB data, and I use Blender (with the Molecular Nodes plugin), and then a bit of compositing in After Effects. Currently challenging myself to make a new one each day, so it's nice to be noticed!
Visualisation of the human apoptosome, which is like a seven-starred shuriken. Shown here with a light shining through it like a waxy candle. The cytochromes are shown in pink, and the main body of the apoptosome in yellow.
Day 13 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This is the human apoptosome, which is part of the mechanism for cells to self-destruct when problems occur. Normally the sub-units float around harmlessly, but when danger calls, APOPTOSOME ASSEMBLE!!!
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of earthworm haemoglobin (erythrocruorin), with colours highlighting the various components. It is 144 chains compared with our four chains, and it is thought that its enormous size is because they are not safely packaged in red blood cells like ours, so need to be a bit more robust to freely float, and because having the same effectiveness with fewer particles keeps the viscosity of their blood low.
Day 12 (I've made it halfway!!!) of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar
This earthworm haemoglobin (erythrocruorin), which is enormous compared with our own (144 chains cf. our measly 4 chains).
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
#SciArt
It's fitting that the cover on AI mindlessly apes an earlier creation and also displaces workers while elevating Silicon Valley plutocrats.