Nirvachita Rahman

BIO130 graduate, 2024

Growing up as a science and art enthusiast, I could never help but admire the aesthetic elegance of scientific processes. The biological and chemical activity within the cellular world is one that appeals to me the most as an extraordinary work of art.

In my digital piece done on the very familiar Goodnotes app., I have illustrated the general concept of life inside the cell by focusing on the complexities of some structures that contribute to our central dogma: chromosome, DNA, and protein.

First, why use different shades of the same hue, you may ask? The monochromatic nature of my piece emphasizes the significant proportion of water in an organism’s body, symbolized by the colour blue. Typically, the functional structures that build up a cell form one type of intracellular life, but the components which build up our genetic framework form another significant type of intracellular life that I find fascinating. The interior fluidity of our bodies flows like waves with semitransparent cells sprinkled throughout.

My artwork focuses on the interior components of one cell, one section zooming in on a tightly packed chromosome in the nucleus which gracefully unveils its most essential ingredient, the DNA, along with some exposed histone proteins that keep it together, one helical turn broadly specifying the nucleotide interactions within the molecule. Another section zooms into the delicate cytoplasm containing countless proteins, showing one protein composed of hypothetical amino acid subunits merging into marvelous alpha helix and beta sheet structures. To me, integrating science into art means to represent natural processes in both a realistic and exaggerated manner. With this piece, the audience is left with an imaginative view of the majestic biological world within the component that forms every corner of our existence: cells.

Zinaida Berniakovych

BIO130 graduate, 2024

Cell... the basic unit of life. What do we know about the cell? What do we know about the Universe? There is still so much undiscovered to the science things... The cell is a little Universe within us.

This mosaic, made out of the tiny little pieces of magazines, represents the unique set of information. Just like the genes that carry the unique set of information and code for the different proteins inside our body, every little piece on the paper caries an information, and assembles in an artwork. This artwork is my representation of the tiny little Universe within us. Our gene sequence is so different, and we are still connected by the same tree of life, as we share our beautiful planet and this beautiful Universe.

A tiny little sequence ultimately creating a large singular piece of artwork, cells create an artwork of life.

Wanqi Chu

BIO130 graduate, 2024

 We learned about different cell types and structures in the first class, as well as some important organelles in different cells. Recently, Dr. Yu in Tsinghua University had discovered that there is a new organelle called migrasome in cells. They found that migrasomes can mediate cell communications via migracytosis, a cell migration-dependent mechanism for releasing cellular contents (1). This image represents a cross-section area of a cell including all organelles and the newly discovered organelle migrasome by using bright and bold colors to demonstrate. The green tubular strands and vesicles are migrasomes and yellow dots are lysosomes which are also decorations in this image.

For now, Dr. Yu’s lab is still doing research on migrasome mechanisms and structures. Hopefully in the future, we can understand migrasome as well as many other newly organelles better.

Reference:

(1) Ma L, Li Y, Peng J, Wu D, Zhao X, Cui Y, et al. Discovery of the migrasome, an organelle mediating release of cytoplasmic contents during cell migration. Cell Res. 2015 Jan 5;25(1):24–38.

Petra Biddle-Gottesman

BIO130 graduate, 2024

DNA is one of the most iconic components of life. From its structure to its name, DNA is recognizable to nearly everybody over the age of five. I wanted to honor the prestige of this essential building block by creating a piece with watercolor, ink, and colored pencils that centralized DNA replication while displaying the relationship between chromosomes and DNA.

Active replication sits at the center of the piece to show that successful DNA replication is essential to every other step in making a life form. Without exacting replication, no life could exist. The components of replication are marked with bold colors to draw attention to each of them, while the yellow background provides a lively glow. Surrounding the replication mechanism are DNA strands at varying levels of compaction. Showing depth into the nucleus and the dynamic nature of DNA compaction, the DNA strands coil around until they pack into

neat chromosomes. As two of the most widely known structures in cellular biology, DNA strands and chromosomes are shown in conversation with each other as they are in constant motion.

Hosna Mazaheri

BIO130 graduate, 2024

We all know that cells are the simplest form of life, but when do we actually stop to think about what’s going on inside a cell?

Cells are the roots of our very existence that are dynamic and diverse. Why is one flower white and large, while another is pink and tiny? Every organism is made up of their own unique DNA that encodes the genes to tell us how they’ll behave and what they’ll look like. But it’s not as simple as that, because cells are so much more complex than they seem! When you think about the organelles inside of cells, it might seem as though they have their own discrete functions, but really, they are all interconnected.

This artwork is inspired by the abstract beauty of the inside of a cell, and how all the cellular components function as a whole, represented by the watercolor background that blends together. I imagine the DNA and chromosomes as the roots that grow and bloom into a beautiful form of life, with characteristics passed down through generations of genetics. Using paper techniques, I hoped to capture the three-dimensional nature of the double helix and highly folded chromatin in the chromosomes.

Now our simplest form of life doesn’t seem very simple anymore, does it?

Anushka Patel

BIO130 graduate, 2024

What does the future of molecular and cell biology entail?

We are currently entering an era of collaboration between humans and technology, resulting in a surge of discovery, as well as new information and ways of thinking – revolutionizing the field of molecular and cell biology as we know it today. This image is a creation of that collaboration, made by a human – the artist – using a digital illustration software called CellPAINT. New data visualization tools – such as CellPAINT – do not even begin to cover the countless ways that technology is, and will in the future, aid the advancement of molecular and cell biology. Mapping, sequencing, and analysis of various and large sets of data will become just a matter of a single click, allowing researchers, as well as the general public all over the world, to create a better world for us all.

Denis Rivard

BIO130 graduate, 2024

When we study biology, we are seeking to understand the intricate choreography that underlies even the most basic functions of life. This knowledge goes beyond memorizing isolated facts; it's about piecing together a vast network of interactions between cells, proteins, and molecules.

In the artwork, I use a knowledge graph derived from my notes this semester as the background, while an under-the-microscope artistic rendition of a neutrophil and red blood cell is in the foreground. The network of connections represents the links between the topics and mechanisms that we study. Eventually creating the greater structure of understanding of what comes together to create a living cell. Thus, when examining cells, we can start to appreciate all the interconnectedness between cellular components and processes required to make life function. Yet in an age of AI, which can process vast amounts of information and generate answers, some may worry about what the use of this knowledge is. It is because humans can imagine the bigger picture from those abstract connections. While to the AI its understanding comes down only to statistically associated answer thus it lacks the ability to grasp the overall role of biological processes.

The true value of scientific understanding lies in the ability to ask new questions, synthesize information, and construct a coherent picture of living systems. The future of scientific discovery hinges on our ability to use the knowledge of AI while retaining our own capacity for critical thinking and creative exploration. Therefore, it is important to leverage our understanding of the greater system and use that ability to identify areas of inquiry and expand human knowledge.

Gillian Sundquist

BIO130 graduate, 2024

During a BIO130 microscopy lab, I first experienced the effect that phase contrast has on a specimen. Suddenly, the clear, mostly colorless Paramecium that I had been monitoring was brought into a glimmering world of color. Each particulate gleamed with newfound hue. The organelles within the creature shifted around each other, now visible to my eye. I had no idea that microscopy could be so… beautiful. Microscopic life, given vibrant color. The subject fits this year’s theme of Life Inside the Cell because the lab centers around observing dyed yeast cells within a paramecium’s food vacuoles, and the feeding/digesting behavior involved.

This is the first moment in lab where we focused on observation of a subject whose movement and internal features were so prominent. This experience brought me closer to understanding that life is quite complex and immersive on a cellular level, whether you look inside or outside the paramecium.

I simplified the background from the microscopic slide significantly, choosing to emphasize the color and texture of the particles found within the sample. A flowing mixture of color and a warm-toned gradient represent the motion and undulation of the paramecium as seen through the phase contrast lens. I derived the color palette from the image itself, pulling gold, purples, and scarlets from the membrane of the paramecium.

Perlina Vaz

BIO130 graduate, 2024

Originally, I believed suitcase packing to be one of the more challenging jobs, but upon learning about the process of DNA compaction, I was fascinated. I mean, I just throw and pack, but the way the nucleus packs an enormous amount of DNA into such a small chromosome really inspired me. And this happens billions of times! There is huge collaboration between proteins and DNA, where they work to continuously compact and condense themselves.

A simple depiction of the various phases of DNA packing, including the chromosome, the histone-DNA structure, the nucleosomes, and the DNA itself, was not enough. Thus, to communicate its complexity, I relied on a variety of textures, including color shavings, thread, and charcoal. The color shavings serve a significant role in this piece because they not only create an interesting texture but also communicate the tangible feeling and intricate detail of compacted DNA in a chromosome or the complexity of chemical structure in the DNA backbone. Sometimes, I felt that the areas of the pieces that used color shavings communicated a look like that of a viewing under a microscope. Charcoal allowed me to introduce depth into simple planar shapes. Additionally, soapy bubble painting was a technique used to set the scene in the background. I worked in a square-circular spiral and from chromosome to DNA fashion to ensure a visually appealing composition. I chose a color palette that ensures unity in the overall picture.

Notice that every line is connected to each other; it unravels and reveals its forms. In short, I wanted to create an engaging mixed-media piece that came from several trials and challenges but ultimately brought out my creativity.

Meijue Zhang

BIO130 graduate, 2024

The main purpose of this image is to highlight the variety of forms and colours of the cells. The overall colour tone of this drawing is black and white, this is because I wanted to highlight the diversity and beauty of the cells. The black and white lines are to highlight the differences in the internal structure of the cells and the different colours are to highlight the uniqueness of the cells. I have used two completely different ways of drawing to enhance the interest of the painting.

For most people, they don't know the exact structure of a cell because it is too small to observe. As a result, they have a stereotypical view of cells and may think that every cell looks similar. However, after taking the BIO130 course I recognised many cells and therefore I wanted to draw some unique cells through my random creativity. In this image I added vividness to the microscopic cells by using variations in black and white size and line spacing. At the same time, to highlight the colourfulness of the cells, I have used paint blending to blend multiple colours, thus reflecting the diversity of the cells through different aspects. For example, there are various cells in the human body, and they all grow with their own uniqueness and have different jobs. The reason why I drew this picture is to make the cell design more creative and to combine cell science with art.

This will make more people more interested in this aspect of cells and increase the pride of our BIO130 community.

Dr. Sonhita Chakraborty

Cell and Systems Biology Graduate Student Alumni

Cell Series 1