Every human cell contains two meters of DNA packed into a microscopic space, and to understand this tight squeeze, researchers use "Hi-C" maps. These digital charts create a striking, checkerboard-like pattern that shows exactly where active and inactive genes huddle together.
US scientists Job Dekker (University of Massachusetts) and Leonid Mirny (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have used Hi-C to show how our DNA changes as cells divide and grow. Fascinated by the raw beauty of these maps, scientists Professor Sarah Harris (University of Sheffield) and Professor Caroline Austin (Newcastle University) teamed up with them and artist Mary Griffiths to turn this data into fine art.
Griffiths spent months translating the complex loops of the genome into a series of drawings titled "Everything and All of Us." Using thick graphite that she polished until it shimmered like metal, she etched intricate geometric lines into the surface to represent the "dots" and "triangles" where genes communicate.
Professor Harris said “Working with an artist like Mary Griffiths has taught me new skills in seeing and how to communicate complex ideas using visual language. The value of science is often stated only in terms of its benefits to economics, industry, or health, so it has been very refreshing to celebrate the joy it brings through new perceptions and understanding by working with Mary.”
This collaboration has successfully bridged the gap between the lab and art. The works reached hundreds of thousands of people at the Royal Academy in London and has since been acquired by the University of Leeds for its permanent collection.
“Working with Sarah and the rest of the group has opened up new and exciting visual and conceptual possibilities for me.” Mary Griffiths