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e-nox.net
Equinox Graphics
@e-nox.net
340 followers 95 following 120 posts
Science illustration and animation studio, based in Cambridge UK. We take science and engineering and make it pretty!
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e-nox.net
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 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.
December 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM
e-nox.net
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).

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#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.
December 12, 2025 at 8:37 AM
e-nox.net
Day 11 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

This the Zika virus, which has an interesting repeating unit (five copies makes a starfish; and repeats twelve times).
More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of the Zika virus capsid, which is made up of 60 copies of a repeating unit (five copies makes a star shape, which repeats 12 times). Here it is shown with different coloured stars, and some translucency for effect
December 11, 2025 at 6:33 PM
e-nox.net
Day 10 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

This the human papillomavirus, which attacks cells in skin and mucous membranes. It is usually harmless but very occasionally can cause cancer.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
VIsualisation of the structure of the human papillomavirus, showing the capsid units which make up the virus shell, which contains its circular DNA genome.
December 11, 2025 at 9:13 AM
e-nox.net
Day 9 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

This the clover-shaped "Acetohydroxyacid Synthase", which is involved in synthesising three critical amino acids in plants - which is why it's targetted by herbicides.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of Acetohydroxyacid Synthase, shown as a ribbon structure, with a semi-transparent surface. Catalytic subunits are shown in turquoise, regulatory subunits in blue, and valine in red. The structure is clover-shaped with four arms
December 9, 2025 at 11:10 AM
e-nox.net
Day 8 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

A resistosome is a molecular machine found in a plant's immune system, with unusual curved arms compared with imflammasome, the analogous complex in animals. It forms pores in infected cells & kills them.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of a plant resistosome, a molecular machine in the plant's immune system. It has a five-fold symmetry with curved arms, and the funnel (centre, yellow) is responsible for forming a pore in infected cells, leading to that cell's death
December 8, 2025 at 12:50 PM
e-nox.net
Day 7 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

This is a malaria pump (PTEX), which pumps malaria effector proteins out of the parasite and into red blood cells, to help remodel their new home. (Nice for them; bad news for us)

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of the malaria parasite PTEX protein pump. The blue/green section is a pore that penetrates the membrane, the pink part is an ATP motor that unfolds and threads effector proteins through the centre of PTEX, and the yellow part joins the motor to the pore
December 7, 2025 at 1:49 PM
e-nox.net
Day 6 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

This is a "nanodisc", which is a tiny section of lipid membrane, just big enough to hold a single membrane-bound protein, and holds the structure stable enough to probe its structure

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of a membrane-bound protein (green) in a nanodisc, which is a tiny section of lipid membrane (clear), and you can see the two stabilising bands (pink/purple) that go around the disc
December 6, 2025 at 6:53 PM
e-nox.net
Day 5 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

Today it's HLA-A2, which is critical for the immune system. They present fragments of intra-cellular proteins to CD8+ T cells, which can initiate a targeted immune response.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of HLA-A2, presenting a peptide (protein fragment). HLA-A2 is shown in blue/purple with its surface translucent and an internal ribbon showing its structure. The peptide is shown bound to a crevice in magenta.
December 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
e-nox.net
Day 5 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

Today it's HLA-2, which is critical for the immune system. They present fragments of extra-cellular proteins to CD4+ T cells, which can initiate a targeted immune response.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of HLA-2, presenting a peptide (protein fragment). HLA-2 is shown in blue/purple with its surface translucent and an internal ribbon showing its structure. The peptide is shown bound to a crevice in magenta.
December 5, 2025 at 1:10 PM
e-nox.net
Day 4 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

Today it's AAA+ protease (surely the best of all proteases?)

It has a protein pump to pull only the correct proteins into the central barrel, where they are destroyed. Maybe the AAA+ is their accuracy?

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the molecular structure of a AAA+ protease, with its structure shown as ribbons. The purple ends are the protein pumps, and the red is the chamber where proteins are destroyed. It is backlit by a strong light
December 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
e-nox.net
Day 3 of making proteins for #ArtAdventCalendar

Today I've been playing with Apolipoprotein B-100, which helps deliver fats. It wraps around a lipoprotein, and as cells extract triglycerides for energy, it shrinks and ApoB100's belts shrink to fit

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of ApoB100, showing the belts that it wraps around lipoproteins as it transports fat and energy around the body. The structure is backlit and shiny
December 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM
e-nox.net
Day 2 of #ArtAdventCalendar

Today's new protein is Arc, a protein found in the brain, which can form icosahedral capsids (like viruses) containing its Arc mRNA cargo. They are linked to regulation of synaptic plasticity and forming long-term memories.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Visualisation of the structure of the Arc protein, shown as an icosahedral capsid (protein structure depicted as a ribbon), with a point light at its centre, throwing out shadow rays into the surrounding space.
December 2, 2025 at 2:28 PM
e-nox.net
It's time for #ArtAdventCalendar!

Going to try to make a new protein render each day. Today is FOXP3, which is involved in controlling the expression of numerous genes. Here shows as a domain-swapped dimer that is able to bridge two(!) strands of DNA.

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/

#SciArt
Illustration of the structure of the FOXP3 protein, here shown as a dimer (red translucent surface with ribbon structure visible inside) binding with two separate strands of DNA (glowing yellow)
December 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
e-nox.net
Don't stop there! Go full mad max.....
Macho insanity in a motorbike from Mad Max: Fury Road
October 28, 2025 at 5:15 PM
e-nox.net
Back onto making some protein visualisations for fun - this is RCSB's Molecule of the Month, and I had a go at my own version. It's a TOC-TIC Translocon (all the cool kids are doing Toc-tic, right?) Made in #Blender and #MolecularNodes

#SciArt

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Image of a TOC-TIC translocon (PDB 7VCF), showing the molecular structure, coloured according to its pLDDT value (the degree of confidence/accuracy). Lots of JJ Abrams style lens flares. Much future, so wow.
May 6, 2025 at 12:03 PM
e-nox.net
Thanks to #VIZBI nudging me, I hosted an online chat, where I whizzed through my typical workflow using #MolecularNodes, #Blender and After Effects to make this image in ~40 minutes(!)

Thanks for giving me your time, and I hope you all found it useful

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
May 6, 2025 at 9:04 AM
e-nox.net
Managed to submit my #VIZBI conference poster on time, which is great if you like looking at pretty proteins. IT'S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK!!!

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Conference poster consisting of 8 pretty visualisations of proteins in different styles.
April 1, 2025 at 9:35 AM
e-nox.net
#VIZBI in-person registration closes tomorrow! I'm attending so please come and join me in Cambridge to learn all the best things to know about biological visualisation!!! There will be snacks too. Virtual registration still an option. I AM EXCITED
VIZBI logo, made up of protein/structural visualisations spelling out the letters
March 27, 2025 at 11:43 AM
e-nox.net
Today's #FebruArty theme is "magenta". This is an illustration we made for the University of Vienna, showing strings of entangled qubits. The journal article on Blind Quantum Computing (published in Science) can be viewed here:
arxiv.org/abs/1110.1381

#SciArt

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Image showing cris-crossing streams of qubits (quantum information), which are shown in groups of four engangled qubits, linked in different arrangements. Each stream also has faded variations behind it, because these are superpositions of all the qubit states
February 26, 2025 at 2:23 PM
e-nox.net
Today's #FebruArty theme is "socks", so I made a SOX gene, which is a transcription factor that binds to the minor groove of DNA. Made in #Blender and #MolecularNodes

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Image of DNA represented as balls-and-sticks, bound to the SOX gene, which is represented as a glowing backbone ribbon, with semi-transparent surface
February 25, 2025 at 12:16 AM
e-nox.net
Today's #FebruArty is #SensoryArt's theme of "LOUD". Reposting this illustration we made of synaesthesia, which is a neurological condition that causes crossovers between senses, such as seeing a colour when you hear a word.

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Illustration of a pair of over-ear headphones, with swirly whirly purpleish streaks circling the ear cushions
February 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
e-nox.net
Today's #FebruArty theme is #FishyFeb, and I'm lacking fishy pics, so I made this fish inflammasome disc, which are protein structures involved in sensing inflammatory signals, and triggering the immune response. Made in #Blender and #MolecularNodes

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Render of the structure of a fish inflammasome disk (RCSB structure 8EJ4), with a bright light source at the centre of the ring, and dramatic rays of light streaking outwards
February 21, 2025 at 11:27 AM
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Today's #FebruArty theme is "glasses", so here is a test project, the first I ever made in #Modo, exploring its refraction/caustic abilities. It's a planetary gearbox, not that you can really tell - but it has lots of interesting internal geometry!

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Render of a planetary gearbox, as if it were made of glass, and the complex refractions give rise to lots of colour splitting/dispersion and caustics
February 18, 2025 at 10:35 AM
e-nox.net
Today's #FebruArty is #SensoryArt's theme of "rough". These are some rough versions of an illustration: 3D scene in #Modo, (2) render, (3) compositing.

Our work massively improved once we learned to worry less about rendering, and more about compositing

#SciArt

More projects: e-nox.net/portfolio/
Screenshot of the 3D scene in Modo, showing the geometry made of polygon meshes Render from Modo, which has nice lighting, but is very flat at boring compared with the final image Final image from After Effects, which is recoloured, has depth-of-field blurring, and subtle glow effects. Much better!
February 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM