Art
Dr John Walter, our artist in residence, holds a Wellcome Trust Large Arts Award "CAPSID" with Greg. John's work is bright, witty, intelligent, and sometimes hilariously inappropriate.
CAPSID
John has embedded himself in the lab, attending lab meetings and discussing our projects with us. John uses his relationship with the lab to create a body of work that explores capsid structure, molecular virology and the culture and process of discovery science, all building on his long standing interest in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. John's work goes way beyond illustration and our collaboration is very much two way. The discussions have been enormously helpful for our efforts to understand how capsids work. His questions have directly led us to new lines of investigation. Beyond our lab, John has spoken to academic colleagues and undergraduate students, creating a real buzz, and challenging his audiences to broaden their thinking. It's fantastic to have him around. John uses a wide variety of media including costumes, books, paintings, sculpture, and films.
These examples are featured in the CAPSID exhibition.
- May-July 2018, CGP London's galleries (The Gallery and Dilston Grove in Southwark Park).
- Nov 2018 - Jan 2019. 'Home' in Manchester.
For more information on the project, visit John's Capsid webpage.
You can also read the following articles:
Crafts: Stitching Science
The Lancet: Exhibition
John and Greg in conversation
Cloaking
Viruses evade our intracellular defenses through a process we call cloaking.
Virus Walks Into a Bar
Stills from the film 'Virus Walks Into A Bar' (2018) with cameos from some of the Towers group! Viral entry receptors in yellow. Innate immune pattern recognition receptors in pink.
Are pentamers important for cofactor binding, do we have a good pentamer structure?
The Pentamer Crisis, Acrylic, Ormoline, paint pen, ink and tipex on point of sale paper, 2017.
Can you tell what a protein is by looking at its structure? Eg the CA hexamer. We don't think so.
Fist (Triskelion), Vacuum metalised object and novelty drinking fist, 36 x 57 x 15cm, 2018.
The process by which newly formed viruses leave infected cells is called budding. We work on a protein called tetherin that tethers the new virions preventing them from leaving to infect new cells.
Budding (googly eyes). Acrylic, ink, PVA, expanding foam filler, doll, organza, shrinkies, papier-mâché, silicone, foam and floam on circular canvas. 87 x 140 x 10cm
What are the capsid hexamers for? Do they import nucleotides to fuel encapsidated DNA synthesis, or not?
In The Hex, Carbon paper, ink, watercolour, paint pen, metallic marker, pencil and crayon on paper, 56 x 76cm, 2017
Does HIV-1 only have 1 packaging sequence or are there lots of RNA-CA contacts? Is this how RT influences uncoating? Very interesting questions.
Packaging Sequence, Silkscreen on paper with monoprint, 92 x 122cm, 2017.
A page from The RNA book, Artist’s book of 52 double-paged paintings; mixed media on paper, opens to 56 x 76cm, 2018.
Cofactors are non viral proteins that help the virus infect cells. Host proteins often changes the shape of the viral protein in a process called allostery. What allosteric effects does CypA have on the HIV hexamer?
Allostery Screenprint, 2017 Silkscreens on paper with monoprint (unique), 152.4cm x 244cm
Two pictures from the Cytoplasm series. Chaos or totally organised. How does HIV-1 see it?
Cytoplasm (Glitter Turd), Acrylic and Silkscreen on canvas, 2.13 x 2m, 2017.
Cytoplasm (Black Hexamers), Acrylic and Silkscreen on canvas, 2.13 x 2m, 2017.
Viral cofactors or restriction factors - hospitality or hostility? Or both?
HOSPITALITY / HOSTILITY, Ink, acrylic and pen paint on paper, 154 x 244cm, 2016.
CAPSID at 'Home', Manchester
CAPSID has opened at the 'Home' Gallery in Manchester with over 1000 people through the doors on its first day providing the Gallery with its most successful opening to date.
