PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Bioinform.
Sec. Data Visualization
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbinf.2025.1589122
This article is part of the Research Topic14th International Meeting on Visualizing Biological Data (VIZBI 2024)View all articles
Structural biology meets typography: using protein structures to inspire creative expression and connect diverse audiences
Provisionally accepted
- Not Affiliated, Queensland, Australia
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Proteins are complex molecular machines with specific structures that determine their function. Advances in structural bioinformatics and visualization have expanded access to molecular data, most notably through the Protein Data Bank (PDB). This perspective explores the intersection between structural biology and typography, integrating a protein alphabet with the 36 Days of Type design project. Using ChimeraX, Blender and Molecular Nodes, 3D molecular models were processed, stylized, and shared on social media under the #36daysoftype hashtag, which led to engagement across a diverse audience. This work was also presented at VIZBI 2024 conference and influenced the VIZBI 2025 conference logo design. This project frames the role of scientific illustration and visual arts in connecting disciplines, boosting public engagement, and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, while also inspiring future applications like biology-inspired typography to enhance scientific literacy.
Keywords: protein structure, molecular visualization, Scientific outreach, Structural Biology, 3D modelling, molecular data, typography, creative expression
Received: 06 Mar 2025; Accepted: 24 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Martínez-Núñez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Leonora Martínez-Núñez, Not Affiliated, Queensland, Australia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.