In this project, High Tech High North County students studied the functions and structure of proteins. Proteins perform many vital functions in the human body. They cut, chew, break, bend, read, scaffold, self-assemble, send signals, protect and even escort. Essentially, they act as little molecular machines. You have over one hundred trillion cells in your body, each containing 4 billion base pairs of DNA in their nuclei. The 20,000-25,000 genes in each of these cells code for proteins. These cells make up tissues, organs and the various systems that make you "You." What makes these tissues and organs different from one another are the proteins they express.



For this collaborative Art and Biology Project, students visualized the structure of proteins using a 3D visualization program called Chimera and researched their functions using the Protein Data Bank (or the PDB). In Art, students started by doing detailed observational drawings of their proteins. They then studied color schemes and did color scheme paintings to practice using the materials and choosing color schemes that worked best with their protein designs. Students studied and were also inspired by the work of David Goodsell, an artist and the author of "The Machinery of Life." To finalize their visual study of these proteins, students painted their proteins using acrylic paint on canvas. Art students then had the opportunity to display their work at a college campus and donate their work to local art programs. Reflecting on their work, students noted that they learned more about molecular machines because they had a personal connection to their artwork and in turn were more motivated to learn the biology behind their molecular machines.





Parag Chowdhury (Biology Instructor) and Shani Leader (Art Instructor)