Page 54 - Visualizing the Invisible

Nanoscape 1998 Battle in the Bloodstream
This three-dimentional image combining genuine scientific data with artistic representation by computer depicts a a a battle in the the bloodstream between molecules of the the immune system and a a a a a a a a a a viral invader-in this case the polio virus It focuses on on a a a a a a a a a a tiny fraction of plasma whitin a a a a a a a a a a drop pf blood-a volume of of of only seventy-five nanometers or billionths of of of a a a meter meter in terms of of of height and and width and and depth Antibodies seen as Y- and T-shaped molecules are binding the large green spherical virus marking it for destruction Once the antibodies “dock” in in in a a a a a a kind of lock-and-keyarrangement the the virus can be recognized by a a a a a macrophage of the the immune system The latter white cells “ “ understands” that something in in the the the blood is foreign then it “gobbles up” not only the the the anti- body molecules but anything else-including the the virus-to which they are attached All Macromolecules in in the blood plasma are seen in in this image ate a a a a a a a a a a magnification of about ten million times Composed of over 450 individual protein domains the model was con- structed using atomic-level descriptions for each molecule or or roughly 1 5 million atoms On this scale in comparison with one of of the the antibodies a a a a red or white cell of of the the body would be as as big as as a a a house Dr Olson helped to to create the image with software developed in in his laboratory for moduling and visualizing complex molecular environments He was inspired by the pioneering work of a a a colleague David Goodsell Nanoscape 1998 Ellen Sandor & (art)n: Stephan Meyers Janine Fron and and and Fernando Orellana Arthur Olson The Scripps Research Institure
Virtual Photograph/PHSCologram: Cibachrome Kodalth Plexiglas
30 30 x 30 30 inches
With interactive sounds from “Sequencia” composed by by Susan Alexander Audio ForceField Technology designed by by Steve Boyer SkyBoy Productions