Got the info sheets up and shopped us into Chinese vogue!
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/
xx
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Saturday, 29 August 2009
More designage
Luckly this one I scaled everything right.
The idea is to where the stem cell on one ear and a daughter cell on the other, they would all be anodised aluminium:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/?action=view¤t=Earringsfinished.png
The idea is to where the stem cell on one ear and a daughter cell on the other, they would all be anodised aluminium:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/?action=view¤t=Earringsfinished.png
Blurb for brooches
You know, this project has done wonders for my communications skills. Writing for non-scientists requires a different skill set (which I may not have totally grasped, feel free to edit out confusing bits). It's fun :)
Second person is intended to make the writing accessible rather that patronising.
Retinal progenitor cell- Retinal stem cells are a specialised variety of stem cell that produce all the different types of neurons that make up the retina. Scientists hope to one day use retinal stem cells to repair damaged eyesight in humans, by getting them to replace the neurons that allow you to see.
Rod cell - Rod cells sense light at low levels, giving you night-vision. They cannot differentiate between colours, which is why at low light levels you see in shades of grey. They are called rods due to their long, thin shape, which helps pack in lots of the light-sensing protein rhodopsin into a small retinal surface area.
Cone cell - There are three types of cone cell in the human eye. They sense red, green or blue light depending on the type of light-sensing protein they contain. They give you colour vision. Different species have different types of cones. Birds, for example, have a fourth cone cell type that allows them to see ultraviolet light.
Bipolar cell - These cells take signals from cone, rod and horizontal cells and process them before sending a signal on towards your brain. They are important messenger components in the retinal circuit.
Horizontal cell - By integrating messages from rods and cones, horizontal cells help you to perceive edges sharply. Using a process called 'centre-surround inhibition' they amplify the signal produced at transitions in your field of vision. Transitions could be from dark to light, or from green to red.
Amacrine cell - Amacrine cells take signals for bipolar cells and pass them on to ganglion cells. An amacrine cell can have one of many processing functions. Some affect your colour perception. These cells are responsible for the green after-image you see after staring at a red light.
Ganglion cells - The long axon of a ganglion cell stretches many centimetres from the retina to the brain, along the optic nerve. These cells carry the information from bipolar and amacrine cells to your visual cortex, where the image that landed on your retina is interpreted.
A further note: the colour scheme of these brooches - blue, green and red - references the three primary colours of light as seen by human cone cells. It also references the three colours primarily used in fluorescent microscopy, a technique used by scientists to see the shapes of these different retinal neurons.
Second person is intended to make the writing accessible rather that patronising.
Retinal progenitor cell- Retinal stem cells are a specialised variety of stem cell that produce all the different types of neurons that make up the retina. Scientists hope to one day use retinal stem cells to repair damaged eyesight in humans, by getting them to replace the neurons that allow you to see.
Rod cell - Rod cells sense light at low levels, giving you night-vision. They cannot differentiate between colours, which is why at low light levels you see in shades of grey. They are called rods due to their long, thin shape, which helps pack in lots of the light-sensing protein rhodopsin into a small retinal surface area.
Cone cell - There are three types of cone cell in the human eye. They sense red, green or blue light depending on the type of light-sensing protein they contain. They give you colour vision. Different species have different types of cones. Birds, for example, have a fourth cone cell type that allows them to see ultraviolet light.
Bipolar cell - These cells take signals from cone, rod and horizontal cells and process them before sending a signal on towards your brain. They are important messenger components in the retinal circuit.
Horizontal cell - By integrating messages from rods and cones, horizontal cells help you to perceive edges sharply. Using a process called 'centre-surround inhibition' they amplify the signal produced at transitions in your field of vision. Transitions could be from dark to light, or from green to red.
Amacrine cell - Amacrine cells take signals for bipolar cells and pass them on to ganglion cells. An amacrine cell can have one of many processing functions. Some affect your colour perception. These cells are responsible for the green after-image you see after staring at a red light.
Ganglion cells - The long axon of a ganglion cell stretches many centimetres from the retina to the brain, along the optic nerve. These cells carry the information from bipolar and amacrine cells to your visual cortex, where the image that landed on your retina is interpreted.
A further note: the colour scheme of these brooches - blue, green and red - references the three primary colours of light as seen by human cone cells. It also references the three colours primarily used in fluorescent microscopy, a technique used by scientists to see the shapes of these different retinal neurons.
Designage
Right right,
Here is the brooch design sheet:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/?action=view¤t=ohfuck.png
The reason why the file name is ohfuck is that I did it waaaaaay too big in photoshop, so when I resize it smaller the quality is affected, now I don't know how this will affect the printouts, but seeing as we have to give in digital copies aswell the size shouldn't matter there. I was wondering if a copyshop would be able to sort it, I will have to go to one anyway as I don't have an A3 printer.
Do you think I should re-do them? Seeing as the address we have to have it to on Tues is in Imperial, I might take a bit more time and post it in by hand, is that even possible do you think?
Could you possibly write a bit of blurb/explanation as to the cells that we could include with the products? It would be really helpful in proving what we are trying to show scientifically.
What do you think of the designs so far? I have all the stages saved so I can play about with the whole thing. I used the first name you mentioned for our collection as I liked it but can change :)
Here is the brooch design sheet:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/?action=view¤t=ohfuck.png
The reason why the file name is ohfuck is that I did it waaaaaay too big in photoshop, so when I resize it smaller the quality is affected, now I don't know how this will affect the printouts, but seeing as we have to give in digital copies aswell the size shouldn't matter there. I was wondering if a copyshop would be able to sort it, I will have to go to one anyway as I don't have an A3 printer.
Do you think I should re-do them? Seeing as the address we have to have it to on Tues is in Imperial, I might take a bit more time and post it in by hand, is that even possible do you think?
Could you possibly write a bit of blurb/explanation as to the cells that we could include with the products? It would be really helpful in proving what we are trying to show scientifically.
What do you think of the designs so far? I have all the stages saved so I can play about with the whole thing. I used the first name you mentioned for our collection as I liked it but can change :)
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Basics! Jewellery designs.
Made some basic images with prints that can be made up into jewellery designs.
Here they are:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/
I am making up designs for the collection, will include the brooches we have talked about, the earrings pictured in the last update and necklaces based on the bipolar cell necklace idea.
How does this sound? :)
Here they are:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/
I am making up designs for the collection, will include the brooches we have talked about, the earrings pictured in the last update and necklaces based on the bipolar cell necklace idea.
How does this sound? :)
Monday, 24 August 2009
what do retinal stem cells look like - good question...
3rd pic down on this page http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/about/divisions/neuro/npmdepts/cmn/cmnresearch/cmnplasticity/
And here http://neuromics.blogspot.com/2009/08/stemez-np1-neural-progenitors-now.html
Basically round, amorphous. They are not usually shown - they way you demonstrate that something is a stem cell is to make it generate lots of offspring, in a dish or transplanted into a retina. Stem cells are not visually distinctive, so there are more pictures of the distinct offspring.
And here http://neuromics.blogspot.com/2009/08/stemez-np1-neural-progenitors-now.html
Basically round, amorphous. They are not usually shown - they way you demonstrate that something is a stem cell is to make it generate lots of offspring, in a dish or transplanted into a retina. Stem cells are not visually distinctive, so there are more pictures of the distinct offspring.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Muller cells
The glial cell type produced by retinal stem cells. A relatively unspecialised cell compared to the retinal neurons - no elaborate tree-like dendrites, etc. This cell type may be able to dedifferentiate back in to a retinal stem cell under certain conditions. Whether this happen in adults is controversial.
This group had an interesting paper - Muller cells act to refract light, helping to channel it down through the retina to photoreceptors and preventing distortion. Simpler explanation here
Picture here.
Apart from this, they have the usual glial cell function of support and nutrient supply to neurons. That cute knife-and-fork graphic can be used - if you decide to use prints. They might get a little confusing in the overlay, but for separate neuron cut-outs...
Images
Golgi (black)stained pics
and here
Fluorescent pics here
And here
This group had an interesting paper - Muller cells act to refract light, helping to channel it down through the retina to photoreceptors and preventing distortion. Simpler explanation here
Picture here.
Apart from this, they have the usual glial cell function of support and nutrient supply to neurons. That cute knife-and-fork graphic can be used - if you decide to use prints. They might get a little confusing in the overlay, but for separate neuron cut-outs...
Images
Golgi (black)stained pics
and here
Fluorescent pics here
And here
Monday, 17 August 2009
Retinal Neuron pictures
Amacrine cells
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/amacrines1.html
This one looks like the best source site for all cell types in the retina, which reminds me I need to talk about Muller cells next.
http://www.retinalmicroscopy.com/
The internet is a beautiful, beautiful thing to give us all these redunkulously specialised resources. If I ever left Neuroscience, it would be for computer programming.
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/amacrines1.html
This one looks like the best source site for all cell types in the retina, which reminds me I need to talk about Muller cells next.
http://www.retinalmicroscopy.com/
The internet is a beautiful, beautiful thing to give us all these redunkulously specialised resources. If I ever left Neuroscience, it would be for computer programming.
Retinal neurons and relationships, part 2
Hey, just thought of a design name. Retinal Images, anyone? See Me. The Shapes Behind Your Eyes. A Vision In Aluminium. Sight Unseen.
Stop me, please.
Anyway, The bipolar cell is firing. Let's talk about its destinations: Amacrine cells and Ganglion cells.
Amacrine cells are another processing waystation, like Horizontal cells in the last post. Except that if Horizontal cells were analogous to pressing 'sharpen image' in photoshop, Amacrine cells are like tuning contrast, colour balance and intensity. They are also involved in the perception of moving objects. They are complex and not well understood, like tiny cellular James Joyces. There are 20+ subtypes that use several different neurotransmitters. The do not have axons (long thin unbranched processes), instead sending signals out along dendrites (shorter, highly branched).
(In case you're interested, by this analogy the brain and its 30+ visual cortices are annotating everything, getting out contrast, colour and intensity histograms and tuning the image reeeeallly carefully, putting in animations, spraying the clone brush everywhere, photoshopping faces onto everything and sending messages to the photographer about what to take pictures of next, except much more complicated and extensive than that. And doing it in microseconds.)
Ganglion cells take the bipolar and amacrine inputs, integrate the signals and fire messages to the brain. The axons from ganglion cells stretch down the optic nerve, traveling many centimetres into the brain. Given the size of the cell body, this is an axon 100,000 times longer than its cell. And that's pretty short as some neurons go, which is amazing.
When I say neurons 'integrate' signals... Well, it's more like the interference between waves than computer-style 'if x and y = input then z = output'. There are inhibitory and excitatory waves of electricity of different sizes travelling different distances along dendrites to the cell body, and once they get there they can combine to cancel or amplify each other, and the sum of the waves at a particular point in the cell at a particular time determines if the cell fires and the axon carries a signal too the synapse.
I LOVE neuroscience. It just gets more and more complicated the more you look. Yipeee!
Practicing scientists, I apologise deeply if my analogies have hurt you.
A further consideration: Thanks to the vagaries of evolution, this all happens BACKWARDS. Your photoreceptors are in the layer of the retina furthest from the light. All this circuitry passes information back towards the light, and the axons of the ganglion cells run over the surface of the retina till they reach the optic nerve head, where they bundle together and head for the brain.
This of course means that all these neurons are transparent, so that light can actually reach the photoreceptors. Acrylic on aluminium is sounding better and better :)
Phew. That was fun. More images in a bit.
Stop me, please.
Anyway, The bipolar cell is firing. Let's talk about its destinations: Amacrine cells and Ganglion cells.
Amacrine cells are another processing waystation, like Horizontal cells in the last post. Except that if Horizontal cells were analogous to pressing 'sharpen image' in photoshop, Amacrine cells are like tuning contrast, colour balance and intensity. They are also involved in the perception of moving objects. They are complex and not well understood, like tiny cellular James Joyces. There are 20+ subtypes that use several different neurotransmitters. The do not have axons (long thin unbranched processes), instead sending signals out along dendrites (shorter, highly branched).
(In case you're interested, by this analogy the brain and its 30+ visual cortices are annotating everything, getting out contrast, colour and intensity histograms and tuning the image reeeeallly carefully, putting in animations, spraying the clone brush everywhere, photoshopping faces onto everything and sending messages to the photographer about what to take pictures of next, except much more complicated and extensive than that. And doing it in microseconds.)
Ganglion cells take the bipolar and amacrine inputs, integrate the signals and fire messages to the brain. The axons from ganglion cells stretch down the optic nerve, traveling many centimetres into the brain. Given the size of the cell body, this is an axon 100,000 times longer than its cell. And that's pretty short as some neurons go, which is amazing.
When I say neurons 'integrate' signals... Well, it's more like the interference between waves than computer-style 'if x and y = input then z = output'. There are inhibitory and excitatory waves of electricity of different sizes travelling different distances along dendrites to the cell body, and once they get there they can combine to cancel or amplify each other, and the sum of the waves at a particular point in the cell at a particular time determines if the cell fires and the axon carries a signal too the synapse.
I LOVE neuroscience. It just gets more and more complicated the more you look. Yipeee!
Practicing scientists, I apologise deeply if my analogies have hurt you.
A further consideration: Thanks to the vagaries of evolution, this all happens BACKWARDS. Your photoreceptors are in the layer of the retina furthest from the light. All this circuitry passes information back towards the light, and the axons of the ganglion cells run over the surface of the retina till they reach the optic nerve head, where they bundle together and head for the brain.
This of course means that all these neurons are transparent, so that light can actually reach the photoreceptors. Acrylic on aluminium is sounding better and better :)
Phew. That was fun. More images in a bit.
Images part 1 of many
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/Wong.html
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/20/8287/F3.expansion.html
Muller cells are the only glial cells produced by retinal stem cells. More on them later.
http://www.usm.maine.edu/psy/broida/101/retina.JPG
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/20/8287/F3.expansion.html
Muller cells are the only glial cells produced by retinal stem cells. More on them later.
http://www.usm.maine.edu/psy/broida/101/retina.JPG
Retinal neurons - images and relationships part 1
Ok, here is the in-depth examination of the functions of different classes of retinal neurons.All these neuronal types can be developed from retinal stem cells
Photoreceptors: Rods and cones
Cones - come in red, blue and green-sensing varieties (in humans at least, but I digress!). Cones are responsible for all of your high-def colour vision. They are found most densely in the central retina. The combinations of different levels of red, green and blue cone activation are translated by the brain into all the different colours that we see.
Rods - These cells are more sensitive than cones and respond to much lower quantities of light. They are responsible for your vision at low light levels - the reason that your vision is in shades of grey at night is that rods are doing all the work. They do not distinguish between colours, only levels of brightness.
Rods and cones pass their signals onto nearbybipolar cells and horizontal cells via synapses. Bipolar cells can receive input from many photoreceptors (found at the edges of the retina, this setup provides high sensitivity) or one photoreceptor can output to many bipolar cells (found more centrally, this gives greater acuity of vision). A neuron can have many synaptic inputs and outputs.
Horizontal cells are involved in visual processing. They sharpen outlines in the image that hits your retinas, emphasising lines and boundaries. (explanation via link below) Maybe some kind of grid pattern would be appropriate? Basically, this kind of processing is like pressing the "sharpen image" button on photoshop. Quick and universal, sharpens edges.
Bipolar cells are basically sites of integration. They take the signals from photoreceptor and horizontal cells, add them together and send a signal of variable strength on to amacrine cells and ganglion cells.
A good, more in-depth explanation of retinal neuron connections
More in part 2!
Photoreceptors: Rods and cones
Cones - come in red, blue and green-sensing varieties (in humans at least, but I digress!). Cones are responsible for all of your high-def colour vision. They are found most densely in the central retina. The combinations of different levels of red, green and blue cone activation are translated by the brain into all the different colours that we see.
Rods - These cells are more sensitive than cones and respond to much lower quantities of light. They are responsible for your vision at low light levels - the reason that your vision is in shades of grey at night is that rods are doing all the work. They do not distinguish between colours, only levels of brightness.
Rods and cones pass their signals onto nearbybipolar cells and horizontal cells via synapses. Bipolar cells can receive input from many photoreceptors (found at the edges of the retina, this setup provides high sensitivity) or one photoreceptor can output to many bipolar cells (found more centrally, this gives greater acuity of vision). A neuron can have many synaptic inputs and outputs.
Horizontal cells are involved in visual processing. They sharpen outlines in the image that hits your retinas, emphasising lines and boundaries. (explanation via link below) Maybe some kind of grid pattern would be appropriate? Basically, this kind of processing is like pressing the "sharpen image" button on photoshop. Quick and universal, sharpens edges.
Bipolar cells are basically sites of integration. They take the signals from photoreceptor and horizontal cells, add them together and send a signal of variable strength on to amacrine cells and ganglion cells.
A good, more in-depth explanation of retinal neuron connections
More in part 2!
Friday, 7 August 2009
New Stuff!
Eh finally after all my life drama I have got some images up!
they are in my drawings album of my photobucket:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/
Just a couple of pages from my sketchbook, more designy this time.
I think we should settle on a more definite stem cell "theme" to go for, like the metamorphosis from foetal stem cell to the range of specalized cells (and then which cells and stem cells to go for) or raising awareness of a specific stem cell therapy possiblity, for exalmple Parkinsons, spinal chord, or retinal (and then concentrate on those specific cells in our designs). It may help move the process on a bit and we can start getting some real designin' goin'. :)
they are in my drawings album of my photobucket:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/Drawings/
Just a couple of pages from my sketchbook, more designy this time.
I think we should settle on a more definite stem cell "theme" to go for, like the metamorphosis from foetal stem cell to the range of specalized cells (and then which cells and stem cells to go for) or raising awareness of a specific stem cell therapy possiblity, for exalmple Parkinsons, spinal chord, or retinal (and then concentrate on those specific cells in our designs). It may help move the process on a bit and we can start getting some real designin' goin'. :)
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Retinal neuron shapes
I think we talked a bit about retinal neurons when we met? Anyway, they are the neurons in the retina in the eye.
There are only a few types of neurons in the retina. Each type has a distinct shape and function. Sensory cells - the rods and cones - fire electrical signals when they are hit by a sufficient quantity of light. The other neurons in the retina - bipolar cells, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, and ganglion cells - are involved in processing the signals from the rods and cones and transmitting them through the optic nerve to the brain.
http://www.ganfyd.org/index.php?title=Retina
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/Wong.html
Stem cells could be used to replaced damaged retinal neurons. There is no cell proliferation in the adult retina, so no natural regeneration occurs there.
This paper is about transplanting photoreceptor precursor cells into the eye.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7116/abs/nature05161.html
(Thanks Mike!)
This paper is about making stem cells produce retinal cells for transplantation into damaged retinas.
http://www.pnas.org/content/103/34/12769.abstract
Their figures are worth a look. Once again, badger me for pdfs :)
There are only a few types of neurons in the retina. Each type has a distinct shape and function. Sensory cells - the rods and cones - fire electrical signals when they are hit by a sufficient quantity of light. The other neurons in the retina - bipolar cells, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, and ganglion cells - are involved in processing the signals from the rods and cones and transmitting them through the optic nerve to the brain.
http://www.ganfyd.org/index.php?title=Retina
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/Wong.html
Stem cells could be used to replaced damaged retinal neurons. There is no cell proliferation in the adult retina, so no natural regeneration occurs there.
This paper is about transplanting photoreceptor precursor cells into the eye.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7116/abs/nature05161.html
(Thanks Mike!)
This paper is about making stem cells produce retinal cells for transplantation into damaged retinas.
http://www.pnas.org/content/103/34/12769.abstract
Their figures are worth a look. Once again, badger me for pdfs :)
Monday, 13 July 2009
Neurotransmitters
Oxytocin
Acetylcholine
Dopamine
Serotonin
They are a bit simplified, but the info seems to check out ok. Hopefully good enough to spark some ideas about symbols. The knives and forks 'food' symbol for astroglial cells is still awesome, by the way. People don't appreciate glia as they should.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Research and drawings!!
Well first of all hello and apologies for getting these up slow, I have been putting together images for an aluminium book and sorting out my new (second hand) computer which was not behaving itself, haven't read through everything you have given me recently yet, butI have put up a lot of the stuff I have have been looking at and drawing from plus drawings onto a photobucket account:
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/
Would be cool to know what you think on both research and drawings. Plus if you know of any other cool clear images and or names of stemcells and neurons I could google for more indpiration :)
Put them up here too :)
http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy148/DesignBot/
Would be cool to know what you think on both research and drawings. Plus if you know of any other cool clear images and or names of stemcells and neurons I could google for more indpiration :)
Put them up here too :)
Monday, 6 July 2009
Everything you ever wanted to know about stem cells (but were too afraid to ask)
Stem cells - Nature answers some FAQs
Pulling back from our focus on neural stem cells, this Nature feature talks about some basic stem cell FAQs. A useful primer before going onto the cool creating-transplanting-miraculously curing diseases-inadvertently causing cancers-Frankensteinian-bleeding edge stem cell research papers, which form a huge, confusing morass and are likely to suck in the unwary as a 7-year old sucks in spaghetti. (Leaving red stains on the ceiling and walls.)
There are sections on Physiology, Laboratory use, Medicine and Ethics, with many good sub-articles.
Once again, if Nature has made this closed-access I can get it to you in other ways, DesignBot.
Pulling back from our focus on neural stem cells, this Nature feature talks about some basic stem cell FAQs. A useful primer before going onto the cool creating-transplanting-miraculously curing diseases-inadvertently causing cancers-Frankensteinian-bleeding edge stem cell research papers, which form a huge, confusing morass and are likely to suck in the unwary as a 7-year old sucks in spaghetti. (Leaving red stains on the ceiling and walls.)
There are sections on Physiology, Laboratory use, Medicine and Ethics, with many good sub-articles.
Once again, if Nature has made this closed-access I can get it to you in other ways, DesignBot.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Stem cells - Back on the road again
Another use for neural stem cells
We talked about using neural stem cells - from embryonic, fetal, adult and other sources - to create new neurons, replacing those lost in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
This paper talks about using another property of stem cells - stem cells migrate towards sites of disease and injury. Once they arrive, they may make new cells to replace those lost.
The paper talks about using stem cells to deliver drugs to sites of disease, for example taking chemotherapy drugs to the site of brain tumours. This would make chemotherapy much less damaging to the patient, as a lower, targeted dose would produce fewer side effects.
The idea of (some) stem cells as highly mobile and their differentiated daughters as static seems to fit in with the potential vs function dichotomy.
Stem cells have great potential/'potency', but cannot perform specialised cell functions. Neurons have a highly specialised function, but no potential for further differentiation.
If you can't get to the paper, DesignBot, I can email you a pdf if you would like :).
And yeah, I may use cheesy song lyrics in the titles. The bad pop-culture reference is a time-honoured tradition in scientific writing.
We talked about using neural stem cells - from embryonic, fetal, adult and other sources - to create new neurons, replacing those lost in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
This paper talks about using another property of stem cells - stem cells migrate towards sites of disease and injury. Once they arrive, they may make new cells to replace those lost.
The paper talks about using stem cells to deliver drugs to sites of disease, for example taking chemotherapy drugs to the site of brain tumours. This would make chemotherapy much less damaging to the patient, as a lower, targeted dose would produce fewer side effects.
The idea of (some) stem cells as highly mobile and their differentiated daughters as static seems to fit in with the potential vs function dichotomy.
Stem cells have great potential/'potency', but cannot perform specialised cell functions. Neurons have a highly specialised function, but no potential for further differentiation.
If you can't get to the paper, DesignBot, I can email you a pdf if you would like :).
And yeah, I may use cheesy song lyrics in the titles. The bad pop-culture reference is a time-honoured tradition in scientific writing.
Sunday, 28 June 2009
More informaton on Nobelini for the casual viewer.
http://www.csc.mrc.ac.uk/NewsEvents/News/Nobelini/
"As part of an ongoing collaboration between the MRC and University of the Arts, London the project aims to pair young scientists with design students in a bid to celebrate specific areas of scientific discovery. Pairs will compete for a £2000 prize to facilitate the creation of a science-inspired design product."
I like the Neuron images ScienceBot they make me think of spiders for some reason :)
"As part of an ongoing collaboration between the MRC and University of the Arts, London the project aims to pair young scientists with design students in a bid to celebrate specific areas of scientific discovery. Pairs will compete for a £2000 prize to facilitate the creation of a science-inspired design product."
I like the Neuron images ScienceBot they make me think of spiders for some reason :)
Entry form - to be massively edited over time
1.Theme: Stem cells
2.Design name: Neural Jewels (working title)
3.Please outline your proposed design detailing materials and methods (500-1000 words)
Range of circular brooches. Anodized aluminium discs, perspex overlay
Each brooch carries the image of all different retinal cell types as blue stencils on blue.
Range of neuron-shaped earrings
Anodized aluminium in a range of colours- Help me out DesignBot? I have no idea other than that some form of cutting is involved
Perspex cutouts
Stencils
4.Explain how your design either celebrates and/or communicates science (500-1000 words)
A stem cell holds the potential to produce any one of a range of daughter cells, each with a differing form and function. Our designs were intended to convey the concept of this wealth of potential, focusing on retinal stem cells and their offspring. We also explored the range of functions of retinal neurons and glia, drawing links from stem cell to neuron to function to the process of vision itself.
We wanted our jewellery to be playful, wearable and engaging, celebrating the science behind the design by stimulating the wearer's curiosity about the shapes, colours and symbols used.
Our initial design ideas focused on neural stem cells, as the artificial development of neural stem cells is an area of great medical importance. Neuronal death in the central nervous system is highly damaging in humans due to a lack of neural regeneration, and hence a permanent loss of vital neural tissue. Applied stem cell research could allow us to grow new, replacement neural tissue from cultured or transplanted stem cells. This could cure or ameliorate many different neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis and macular degeneration.
However, a full understanding of the potential of stem cells is necessary to comprehend both the amazing benefits and the possible dangers of stem cell use in medicine. The potential of stem cells lies not in what they are but in what they can make; the same stem cell line may produce functional neurons or multiplying tumour cells depending on the condition of the stem cells. The control of stem cell differentiation requires a refined understanding of all the possible fates of the stem cell and its offspring. Our jewellery range tries to promote the importance of that understanding by getting the owner to ask questions about the meaning behind the shapes they wear.
Our designs focus on retinal stem cell and their offspring. There is considerable interest in using retinal progenitor cells to cure conditions such as macular degeneration, where the loss of retinal neurons leads to loss of sight. There is also a great deal of available scientific literature on retinal neurons and glia, as well as many image resources both published and unpublished from which to draw inspiration.
Retinal stem cells also seemed to be a good candidate for a full exploration of the potential of stem cells, owing to the relatively small number of neuronal types they can produce. We included representations of every retinal daughter cell type in our jewellery designs. This communicates the full potential of retinal stem cells to give rise to multiple daughter cell types.
The design of our range of brooches explores the mechanism by which different retinal neurons can be generated by retinal stem cells, conveying the hidden potential of stem cells to produce one of many cell types given the right conditions.
From a design standpoint, the architecture of neural tissue has a baroque complexity and contains a range of elaborate, spider-like cell shapes. Neuronal shapes are visually striking and hence were an interesting prospect for design.
Neuronal shape is intimately connected to function. The shape of the dendritic tree and length of axon determines the connections that a neuron makes and hence how it functions in a circuit. These shapes are highly stereotyped in many regions – neurons of the same type all look alike.
This gave us a clear visual shorthand to show the development of the formless, all-potential-no-function stem cells into elaborate neuronal architecture which has function but no potential for further development. The variation in shape also made it easier to demonstrate visually the differences between different types of stem cell offspring.
The earring designs explored in greater detail the different functions of different retinal neurons. As well as showcasing the varied and beautiful shapes of the neurons themselves. The symbols stamped onto the surface of the metal are clues about the specific function of the neuron in the process of visual transduction – sensors, messengers and processors. For example, the rainbow motif on the cone cell earring represents the role of cone cells in colour perception. The tuning dial/eye symbol on the amacrine cell earring refers to the role of amacrine cells in 'tuning' visual input in a wide range of conditions, such as rapid movement or light level variation. The piano keys stamped on the ganglion cell reflect the complex message - 'music' - conveyed by these cells using a mass of single electrical impulses, or 'notes'.
We decided to use bright primary colours for both brooches and earrings. This is the same colour range used in fluorescence microscopy, the method by which these cells are often visualised. The colour range used for the brooch designs, while referencing the three main colours used in fluorescence microscopy, also ended up referencing the three types of cone cells in the human retina - red, green and blue. The use of bright, primary colours give the jewellery an air of exuberance, while simultaneously hinting at the scientific origin of the images that inspired us.
5.Give details of supplementary documentation in support of your proposed design, if appropriate (50 words)
This blog http://nobellini-neural-jewel.blogspot.com/
(attach A2 design plan, supplementary materials, etc.)
2.Design name: Neural Jewels (working title)
3.Please outline your proposed design detailing materials and methods (500-1000 words)
Range of circular brooches. Anodized aluminium discs, perspex overlay
Each brooch carries the image of all different retinal cell types as blue stencils on blue.
Range of neuron-shaped earrings
Anodized aluminium in a range of colours- Help me out DesignBot? I have no idea other than that some form of cutting is involved
Perspex cutouts
Stencils
4.Explain how your design either celebrates and/or communicates science (500-1000 words)
A stem cell holds the potential to produce any one of a range of daughter cells, each with a differing form and function. Our designs were intended to convey the concept of this wealth of potential, focusing on retinal stem cells and their offspring. We also explored the range of functions of retinal neurons and glia, drawing links from stem cell to neuron to function to the process of vision itself.
We wanted our jewellery to be playful, wearable and engaging, celebrating the science behind the design by stimulating the wearer's curiosity about the shapes, colours and symbols used.
Our initial design ideas focused on neural stem cells, as the artificial development of neural stem cells is an area of great medical importance. Neuronal death in the central nervous system is highly damaging in humans due to a lack of neural regeneration, and hence a permanent loss of vital neural tissue. Applied stem cell research could allow us to grow new, replacement neural tissue from cultured or transplanted stem cells. This could cure or ameliorate many different neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis and macular degeneration.
However, a full understanding of the potential of stem cells is necessary to comprehend both the amazing benefits and the possible dangers of stem cell use in medicine. The potential of stem cells lies not in what they are but in what they can make; the same stem cell line may produce functional neurons or multiplying tumour cells depending on the condition of the stem cells. The control of stem cell differentiation requires a refined understanding of all the possible fates of the stem cell and its offspring. Our jewellery range tries to promote the importance of that understanding by getting the owner to ask questions about the meaning behind the shapes they wear.
Our designs focus on retinal stem cell and their offspring. There is considerable interest in using retinal progenitor cells to cure conditions such as macular degeneration, where the loss of retinal neurons leads to loss of sight. There is also a great deal of available scientific literature on retinal neurons and glia, as well as many image resources both published and unpublished from which to draw inspiration.
Retinal stem cells also seemed to be a good candidate for a full exploration of the potential of stem cells, owing to the relatively small number of neuronal types they can produce. We included representations of every retinal daughter cell type in our jewellery designs. This communicates the full potential of retinal stem cells to give rise to multiple daughter cell types.
The design of our range of brooches explores the mechanism by which different retinal neurons can be generated by retinal stem cells, conveying the hidden potential of stem cells to produce one of many cell types given the right conditions.
From a design standpoint, the architecture of neural tissue has a baroque complexity and contains a range of elaborate, spider-like cell shapes. Neuronal shapes are visually striking and hence were an interesting prospect for design.
Neuronal shape is intimately connected to function. The shape of the dendritic tree and length of axon determines the connections that a neuron makes and hence how it functions in a circuit. These shapes are highly stereotyped in many regions – neurons of the same type all look alike.
This gave us a clear visual shorthand to show the development of the formless, all-potential-no-function stem cells into elaborate neuronal architecture which has function but no potential for further development. The variation in shape also made it easier to demonstrate visually the differences between different types of stem cell offspring.
The earring designs explored in greater detail the different functions of different retinal neurons. As well as showcasing the varied and beautiful shapes of the neurons themselves. The symbols stamped onto the surface of the metal are clues about the specific function of the neuron in the process of visual transduction – sensors, messengers and processors. For example, the rainbow motif on the cone cell earring represents the role of cone cells in colour perception. The tuning dial/eye symbol on the amacrine cell earring refers to the role of amacrine cells in 'tuning' visual input in a wide range of conditions, such as rapid movement or light level variation. The piano keys stamped on the ganglion cell reflect the complex message - 'music' - conveyed by these cells using a mass of single electrical impulses, or 'notes'.
We decided to use bright primary colours for both brooches and earrings. This is the same colour range used in fluorescence microscopy, the method by which these cells are often visualised. The colour range used for the brooch designs, while referencing the three main colours used in fluorescence microscopy, also ended up referencing the three types of cone cells in the human retina - red, green and blue. The use of bright, primary colours give the jewellery an air of exuberance, while simultaneously hinting at the scientific origin of the images that inspired us.
5.Give details of supplementary documentation in support of your proposed design, if appropriate (50 words)
This blog http://nobellini-neural-jewel.blogspot.com/
(attach A2 design plan, supplementary materials, etc.)
Pictures of neurons
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/articles/cajal/index.html
Sliver-stained neurons (stained using the Golgi impregnation method), showing the elaborate architecture of the dendritic trees. The form and function of neurons are intimately connected.
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2007/11/somewhere-over-brainbow.html
Brainbow! The use of bright fluorescent colours in modern cell imaging techniques may influence the colour scheme of our end design.
http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/molneurobiol/salecker/optic/
An example of the three main colours used in fluorescent immunohistochemistry, a method by which protein expression in stem cells and neurons can be visualised.
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/Lifescience/GeneralBiology/Physiology/NervousSystem/Neuron/Neuron.htm
Pictures of neurons and their association with glial cells. Neuronal and glial cells can derive from the same multipotent stem cell progenitor population through the production of intermediate neural or glial specialised progenitor cells.
Sliver-stained neurons (stained using the Golgi impregnation method), showing the elaborate architecture of the dendritic trees. The form and function of neurons are intimately connected.
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2007/11/somewhere-over-brainbow.html
Brainbow! The use of bright fluorescent colours in modern cell imaging techniques may influence the colour scheme of our end design.
http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/molneurobiol/salecker/optic/
An example of the three main colours used in fluorescent immunohistochemistry, a method by which protein expression in stem cells and neurons can be visualised.
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/Lifescience/GeneralBiology/Physiology/NervousSystem/Neuron/Neuron.htm
Pictures of neurons and their association with glial cells. Neuronal and glial cells can derive from the same multipotent stem cell progenitor population through the production of intermediate neural or glial specialised progenitor cells.
1st meeting - 28th June 2009
The Designer and the Scientist met up today to generate some preliminary ideas for science-celebrating designs. Lots of interesting ideas - in stem cell research and jewellry design - were discussed. We ended up focusing on on research into neural stem cells and neuronal (re)generation. We also decided to make this blog through which to exchange information and to record the design process.
Future posts will contain many pretty pictures of stem cells, neurons and shiny jewellry, as well as documentation of the design process.
Future posts will contain many pretty pictures of stem cells, neurons and shiny jewellry, as well as documentation of the design process.
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