2006
Molecular Models and Sculptures

(click on an image to open the portfolio)


 Blastocyst model
Abstractions
Complexes






In addition to the bronze models of the polio virus and virus+receptor complex commissioned by the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian Institution),
2006 marked the beginning of metal sculpting; the prototype 'slice' or tomographic model of a molecular structure (porcine pancreatic elastase) is depicted here. 		PPE-Slice-1





Program SCULPT (© 2006) produces "G-code" that can be read and executed by a plasma cutting device to cut sheet metal slabs to create scalable (nana-meso-macro) models of molecules up to 4' (120cm) in cross section.

The ribosome is the molecular 'factory' that reads the genetic message (messenger RNA) and synthesizes proteins in the cell.
The 70S ribosome has been modelled and used to create tomographic 'slices' in sheet metal.
20Å thick slices through the structure at 60° intervals are processed by program SCULPT for input to a plasma cutter.



Ribsome models and sculptures






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(c) E. Meyer 2008