JANE'S ADVENTURES IN LAB LAND : Second visit

 Here are some images of the equipment (not including the computer display) that inspired the dotty drawing that is now stuck in my sketchbook.

I have had another great day at MedImmune this week, I spent the morning in the lab with Dave Bannister and the team he works with. I watched them doing many different experiments, asked lots of questions, wrote lots of notes (as you can see), took lots of photo's and even got to help with one of the experiments - although I am not sure I really helped, I am sure it took me three times as long as Dave would've taken if he'd just done it himself! - and was fascinated by it all. 

I was particularly interested in work Gulin Guler-Gain was doing cutting sections out of DNA. She was very patient explaining everything to me in a manner I was able to understand.

In the afternoon I met James Legg who introduced me to the team he works with. They capture stunning colour images of the cells that are being investigated in the experiments. I am hoping to go back and spend some time in their department again next time. Yet again I was amazed by the science and overwhelmed at the friendly openess of the scientists to work with me and explain what they were doing clearly and enthusiastically.

CELLS AND TEST TUBE PLATES

 

I made the sketch on the left thinking about the blocks or plates of test tubes used in "Lab Land" and the computer displays showing results with colour indicating density. I used watercolour pencils to fill in the dots, so then in order to give them a sense of movement and life I painted over them with water so that the colours would bleed.

I have been crocheting a cell in yellow nylon fishing line with a crocheted nucleus made of red fuse wire (you might be able to spot it in the image on the right.)

Here are some drawings I have been doing in my sketchbook thinking about brain cells, mitosis, and all things microscopic.

MedImmune Artist-in-Residence :JANES ADVENTURES IN LAB LAND

I have been waiting to share this exciting news with you all for a sometime but I needed to wait until all the paper work was completed - thanks to the hard work of Jon Green, VP Business Operations, I am now officially Artist-in-Residence at MedImmune, Cambridge. MedImmune is in the very simplest of terms a pharmaceutical company (and part of AstraZeneca). 

Yesterday I went and spent my first day learning about what they do in "Lab Land," as I am affectionately calling it. The very patient John Elvin, Scientific External Liaisons (UK), spent the morning showing me round, explaining what different labs do, answering my endless questions and doing so in a manner that I, a non-science specialist, could understand. He was also the inspiration for "Jane's Adventures in Lab Land." One of the best things is that I met a large number of scientist, who I am delighted to say, seemed genuinely interested in what I am doing and were equally eager to be involved in inspiring me with their science!  So I am having to reacquaint myself with the structure and characteristics of antibodies, antigens, proteins, etc just so I can have a vague understanding of what I'm being told - after all 'A' level social biology was a long time ago! ( I cant help feeling a bit like Penny in 'The Big Bang Theory' !!). Now I just can't wait to go again and spend some time shadowing scientists.

Art work from under the Sea

After working in my sketchbook, collecting images of sea urchins, jelly fish and the like, I made the above weaving project ready for a workshop for the cared for and their carers at Smiths Row gallery, Burt St Edmunds. The best part is that this is also a recycling project using a plastic milk bottle and rags from the charity shop!!

Here are the weavings that the group produced, some of them even added beads.