Transcription: The First Step in Gene Expression

"DNA transcription and its regulation is one of the most fundamental processes in Biology. The protein featured in the center of this image is RNA polymerase II, created in a 3D environment from experimental X-ray crystallography data of the protein in yeast. It is synthesizing RNA from DNA in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell. Transcription factors and initiators hover nearby and nucleosomes and chromatin trail off into the distance. I created this image to inspire and to inform future researchers and the public about the importance of molecular biology research. My graduate studies focus on visualizing sub-cellular processes that are otherwise impossible to capture. This image is a representation of one of the most important of these processes. Our increasing knowledge of how genes are expressed has significant implications for medicine and for the development of new research technologies."