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.)
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Question 3:
ReplyDeleteWe have designed a range of jewellery consisting of 8 Brooches and a set of 8 mix and match Earrings.
The Brooches are made from 8cm diameter circles of anodised aluminium (gauge - 0.70 mm) printed with a dark blue background, bright red stem cell design and navy Retinal neuron outline designs which fan out from the red stem cell around the circle, overlapping into a composite image. This is then overlaid with an acrylic cut out of the chosen neuron in florescent green (gauge- 3mm) with etched print pattern, placed directly over its corresponding outline and secured with epoxy . Which is what the brooch back finding will also be attached with. (Note that these elements could also be attached through riveting but the rivet placement would have to be worked out in the prototyping stage).
The Earrings are also made from anodised aluminium (gauge- 0.70mm) the 7 daughter cells are printed on ovals 7.5mm by 2.6mm and the stem cell earring measures 3mm by 2.1mm. The earrings are printed with a bright red background navy outlines and print detail and bright green colour detail. These will have flat stud ear wire findings secured with epoxy.
There is more than one way of prototyping this collection. First of all would be for Leonie to hand-craft these as a fine art jeweller. The prints could either be hand mono-printed or screen printed and the designs would be hand pierced (cut).
3 sheets of U-coil brite aluminium 0.70mm - £44
1 sheet of flu green acrylic 3mm - £15.10
Super-Crylic epoxy 60g - £13.46
Standard U-print ink in blue, black, yellow and red - £158
Aluminium dyes in blue and red - free samples
Flat stud ear wire SP pk20 - £0.99
Brooch back large GP pk10 - £1.35
Cost of screens and preparation - £65.69 (if screen printing)
estimated time to make 1 brooch 2.5 hours
estimated time to make 1 earring 1.5 hours
total collection estimation 32 hours paid labour - £320
Total cost if mono-printing = £552.90
Total cost if screen printing = £618.59
Second would be to outsource the different components then bring them together to be assembled by hand. The aluminium could be machine screen printed or digitally printed. then machine cut and the acrylic could be laser cut and etched through my connections with metworks. This should take down the price considerably as there is less skilled labour involved and less materials to buy, plus it would be an insight into getting the collection mass produced. Quotes would be needed for exact prices for machining but the material costs for the acrylic, epoxy, brooch backs and studs would still stand, (£30.90) and the total would be far less than the hand crafting price.
Considering the budget we could possibly make a small run of these, or branch out into other jewellery areas such as rings or pendants, pitching our designs to shops and other stockists, carrying on the design philosophy into a branded jewellery business, perhaps in time tackling other scientific areas as well.