Colors and Visual Strategies in Structural and Cellular Biology

The art and science of molecular representation has been developed in the last decades to a high degree of sophistication. Several solutions have been proposed to show the invisible; for objects (proteins, cellular parts, small molecules) it is now relatively straightforward to obtain a 3D shape that can be shown in print, video or other 3D interactive ways. Other invisible concepts, such as potentials, pH, motion and environmental conditions, often important for the comprehension of biological phenomena, can be displayed in various ways. The aim of the workshop is to discuss possible paths that may lead to the harmonization of these representations. Experts from different fields (structural and cellular biology, computer graphics, visual design, education, information design and more) will explore the many options technically available in terms of content communication, ease of use (in the production and in the fruition), and aesthetic quality. While the potential developments around the subject are much more than it can be discussed in a week, we hope to conclude the workshop with a general agreement on the use of symbols, colors and other graphic means, and with a proposal for developing an implementation avenue, such as a research project for testing and evaluating the proposed ideas.