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proteinart.bsky.social
May K.
@proteinart.bsky.social
13 followers 33 following 36 posts
🎨 Art & 🔬 Science: Protein-Inspired Art ✨ See the art within science through fantasy. 🖌️ Turning molecules into playful artworks. http://www.protein-art.com
www.protein-art.com
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Jul 11
I just stumbled upon this incredibly artistic creature – the blue sea dragon – and couldn’t resist sharing its beauty with you. But don’t be fooled by its pretty looks – this #mollusc can deliver a painful sting!
www.geo.de/natur/tierwe...
Seltene Sichtung: Was steckt hinter dem mysteriösen "Blauen Drachen"?
Vor Mallorcas Küste hat eine Meeresbiologin den seltenen "Blauen Drachen" gesichtet. Was die Meeresschnecke so besonders macht und warum sie für Menschen ...
www.geo.de
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 11
Hannover offered brilliant crystallography but unfortunately, not crystal-clear air
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 11
I also couldn’t resist to stop by in the Wilhelm Busch Museum of Caricature and Drawings en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm....
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 11
It was also a pleasure to attend the DGK conference dgk-conference.de in Hannover, meet so many impressive scientists, and hear inspiring talks.✨
DGK: Annual Meeting of the German Crystallographic Society
dgk-conference.de
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 11
A special week: 🎉Honored to receive the Waltrude & Friedrich Liebau Prize de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebau-Preis for promoting interdisciplinary crystallography with my ‘Protein Art’. I never dreamed my art would find its way into the hearts of distinguished scientists.
Liebau-Preis – Wikipedia
de.m.wikipedia.org
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 7
Great video by @veritasium.bsky.social on solving the 3D structure of proteins and how AI is revolutionizing the field!

youtube.com/watch?v=P_fH...
The Most Useful Thing AI Has Ever Done
YouTube video by Veritasium
youtube.com
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 3
Here, RbAp46 has undergone its own transition – a carnivalistic one. And voilà – welcome the Cologne Fools’ Guild! #Cologne is one of the key cities for carnival celebrations, and today is #Rosenmontag – the peak of the festivities with grand parades and costumes.
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Mar 3
Carnivalistic Protein Art

Protein: Histone chaperone RbAp46 (www.rcsb.org/structure/3cfs)
Drawing: Cologne Fools’ Guild

This protein helps to organize #histones, the spools around which DNA is wrapped, and regulates genes involved in cell growth and transition.

#Carnival #Cologne #ProteinArt
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
In the drawing, the crab is shown playing with bubbles instead of catching prey, reflecting ErbB4 in its inactive state. When the time comes, this crab will switch from resting to working, catching its ligand and triggering vital cellular messages. But for now, it’s just a crab at rest.
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
Interestingly, the word “cancer” comes from the Latin for “crab” because some tumors resemble crabs with their radiating “legs.” images.slideplayer.com/42/11199685/...
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
When ErbB4 functions correctly, it supports growth and differentiation in tissues like the mammary gland and nervous system. However, if ErbB4 gets mutated, it might misfire, contributing to cancer.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
These stamps send signals below the surface to creatures like clams (representing the intracellular enzyme part, not shown here). The clams snap their shells shut, passing messages further underground to other residents, much like a kinase enzyme triggers signaling cascades inside the cell.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
Imagine the receptor part as a hardworking crab perched on the surface of a cell. The whole crab represents the receptor parts of two ErbB4 proteins. Its “arms” reach out to catch specific activating molecules called ligands. When the crab catches its “prey,” it stamps on the sea ground.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 28
Protein: #ErbB4 (www.rcsb.org/structure/2ahx)
Drawing: “A Crab at Rest”

The receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4 is like a multi-module signal hub, consisting of a receptor and an enzyme. The receptor part receives signals, while the enzyme part sparks action inside the cell.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
People with the most common form of late-onset Alzheimer’s often show elevated levels of BACE1. To highlight BACE1’s role in this disease, the enzyme is portrayed as an old man holding a leaky sack, with memories dripping away, capturing the heartbreaking loss of memory associated with Alzheimer’s.
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
One of the key mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease is the abnormal processing of a protein called amyloid β precursor protein (APP). BACE1, the protein featured in this drawing, is an enzyme that acts like molecular scissors, cutting APP in a way that contributes to the disease.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
Age is the greatest risk factor, with approximately 5% of people aged 65–74 affected, and the probability rising to 13% for those in their next decade of life. This is a staggering figure, considering that it can strike anyone.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
BACE1 in Alzheimer’s Disease

Drawing: “Worn out sack of memories”
Protein: #BACE1 (www.rcsb.org/structure/1SGZ)

#Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills, and the ability to carry out simple tasks.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
Fun fact: Did you know that #flies can taste sugar with their feet? Isn’t that a sweet connection?
asknature.org/strategy/fee...
Feet Taste Food — Biological Strategy — AskNature
The feet of blowflies detect sugars via external taste receptors.
asknature.org
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
To do this, it binds to a specialized receptor on the cell's surface. The "fly" in the drawing is inspired by the structure of an insulin dimer. Three of these dimers come together to form the inactive storage form of insulin, which is stabilized by a zinc ion.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
The Insulin Fly

Protein: Insulin, www.rcsb.org/structure/3ir0

#Insulin is one of the best-known hormones that plays a key role in managing our metabolism. In its active form, a single insulin molecule (half of the "fly") helps to lower blood sugar levels by triggering cells to take up glucose.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
exposing them to magnetic fields, bombarding them with electrons, or employing advanced computational efforts to model their shapes. Obtaining each three-dimensional structure is a monumental undertaking. Honoring these human achievements through art is nothing less than deserved!
proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
Proteins truly are marvels of nature, and life without them unimaginable. It’s these intricate, functional forms of proteins that fascinate scientists. Researchers go to great lengths to study these structures — #crystallizing proteins for X-ray imaging,
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
Some function as messengers or couriers. Others spin like hamsters in a wheel to generate energy. There are even proteins with decorative roles — like #keratin, the key protein in our hair. Often, proteins team up to form large complexes, creating pumps or even motors.
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proteinart.bsky.social
May K. @proteinart.bsky.social · Feb 25
— much like we use different tools for different tasks: sharp ones for cutting, needle-shaped for piercing, and hollow for scooping. Our protein toolbox is incredibly diverse. Some proteins act as tiny scissors, while others provide structural support, holding cells together like a frame.
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