Molecular Biology: Alive and Animated

A new trend is creeping out of the field of molecular biology: molecular animation. Over the past few years, molecular animation has developed from a few scientist-artists creating animated versions of cells and molecules into a full-fledged niche of molecular animators.

Molecular animators are creating a whole new world for scientists and professors to study the processes of cells and molecules at their microscopic level. These animators use scientific data and description to create as scientifically accurate representations of the cell processes as possible. The animators have to use space, size and color liberally so the processes can be clearly seen.

However, many scientists are worried that the animators stray too far into fantasy and lose the scientific accuracy. Scientists are continuously looking for ways to make sure the animations stay true to form. Despite these reservations, scientists in molecular biology generally believe that molecular animation is the way to understand cells for the future.

You can find more information about molecular animation in the New York Times article: Molecular Animation: Where Cinema and Biology Meet.

Elizabeth Huggins
Graduate Student