Blurring the line between art and science
Under the covers
Erik Berda from the University of New Hampshire explains the parallels between the work his team does on mimicking protein structures, and art.
A protein’s tertiary structure refers to its three-dimensional shape. A protein consists of a single polypeptide chain which forms the ‘backbone’. Segments of this chain form their own shapes, such as helices and sheets, and these are known as the secondary structure. It is the interaction of these segments, which cause the protein to fold in a specific way, that is referred to as the tertiary structure.
Erik:
Our work is centred around mimicking the tertiary structure of proteins in the laboratory. Using a palette of non-natural, synthetic monomers and polymers, we attempt this extremely challenging problem using a series of simple studies, the way an artist might prepare sketches for a major painting. With each attempt we learn more of the intricacies of this process. Each result, in our view, is inching closer to our muse. But like an artist, we can only ‘artistically portray’ nature, and like an artist we are always working tirelessly to perfect our craft.
The process of protein folding, the nature of tertiary structure itself, and its relationship to function, for lack of a better term remains one of the ‘holy grails’ of fundamental knowledge that cross cuts nearly every sub discipline of chemistry. From a polymer chemistry perspective, if we can master Nature’s ability to produce functional nano materials from a palette of simple monomers using the well-known tools of polymer chemistry, it would unlock an unexplored chemical space with enormous potential.
From the art desk
When we started discussing the cover, Justin, the first author on the paper, had the idea to portray an artist, with a protein structure on a pedestal, and our table of contents graphic on his canvass. Slightly discouraged by the inadequate attempt to perfectly recreate his muse, we had a collection of ‘failed’ paintings strewn about his studio.
When we settled on the idea, we contacted our good friend Shanna Zentner, a professional artist with extensive experience in scientific illustrations. She took our idea a step further and imagined, rather than an artist’s studio, the ‘artist’ should be in a laboratory, dressed in lab gear, with both scientific equipment and art supplies around. The line between art and science is often blurred, after all, so we thought that juxtaposition would make a great image. It worked!
Read the article: J P Cole et al, Polym. Chem., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/C7PY01133D
This image appears on the front cover of Polymer Chemistry, 2017, Issue 38.
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