Shattering starfish nuclei. Cells collapsing like fabric. Protein puzzles with thousands of pieces. These moments of microscopy are commonplace in the lab, but for one team of scientists at EMBL they offer an artistic perspective on the biological sciences. ‘Life in Perspective,’ a visualisation of 3D microscopy as lenticular images, was recently displayed at the Heidelberg city library. Going from microscope to capturing the perfect picture was not without experimentation. From collecting data to timing snapshots of chemical reactions, the scientists and co-creators of the art exhibition share some of their challenges, how they took them on and what ‘Life in Perspective’ means for communicating science beyond the lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Initially this project began because Stefan [G\u00fcnther] and I just wanted to look at our research data in a different way,\u201d explains Gustavo de Medeiros, a postdoc in the Hufnagel group at EMBL in Heidelberg. But soon the ambition of the pair of scientists grew. \u201cWe realised it did not make sense to just keep this up in the lab \u2013 we wanted the public to see science communication as art. We envisioned a huge, interactive exhibition, where people could touch and see and discuss the art and science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, it was not easy. \u201cOrganising something like this was completely new for us, as well as for EMBL,” de Medeiros continues. “I think because we had so many ideas at once it was tough convincing people to support us at the beginning. But we kept going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few key supporters helped to get the ball rolling. \u201cStefan and Gustavo approached me for advice and help getting to administrative contacts,\u201d says Manuela Beck, a graphic designer working at EMBL. Joran Deschamps, a PhD student at EMBL, also joined the team. Not only did he work with G\u00fcnther and de Medeiros on the science, but he also pushed the project to remain artistic in focus. With the support and guidance from EMBL Director Matthias Hentze, the team decided to focus on one technique \u2013 lenticular images \u2013 and showcased six images for the 2015 Annual Reception at EMBL. This exposure piqued more people\u2019s interest in the project and prompted numerous labs to contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe put out an open call for data to create more prints,\u201d de Medeiros says. \u201cWe were surprised to find that some data is stored but remains unused. It just sits on a shelf!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n