Bristol University
Biocompute Lab Illustrations for Bristol University
I was asked by Thomas Gorochowski, of the Synthetic Biology department at Bristol University, to provide some new illustrations for his research site, Biocompute Lab, which showcases the work being done in his laboratory.
The Biocompute Lab explores the molecular-scale mechanisms that individual cells and groups of cells use to make sense of their world… We aim to better understand the rules governing how biological parts are best pieced together to perform useful computations.
This was a wonderful challenge for me, and something completely different from my usual work. I was given freedom to choose how to depict the meeting of nature and technology, of organic systems alongside the sequencing, modelling and control brought by scientific research. I decided to use a lot of colour and vibrancy, to suggest a balance between the chaos and order of natural patterns and of human thought, with a touch of Expressionism for inspiration.
The lead illustration for the Biocompute Lab website
The illustration in situ at biocomputelab.github.io/
The three other illustrations I made for the site, showing the three main research areas
The three illustrations in situ at biocomputelab
This was a wonderful project to work on, and I really enjoyed learning a little about the world of synthetic biology and figuring out an abstract way to communicate these ideas through illustration. As always, one of the best things about being an illustrator is the chance to learn about something new through research for a commission. Thank you to Tom Gorochowski.
