CrystalProtein.com is an activity of Bathsheba Grossman, an artist who works with mathematical and scientific subjects, using high-tech media. 

In about 2002 she was doing some work with subsurface laser damage in glass, when a biologist friend requested a protein with cubic symmetry.  This was plainly a good idea, and she was off: writing code, parsing file formats, breaking glass, and learning fast about molecular visualization.

Her sculptor's perfectionism and software skills soon led to wide experience in the world of proteins, and models made to the highest standards of scientific integrity.

By 2005 CrystalProtein.com had grown to the point where help was needed, so Raymond Keller has come on board.  He's improved the code base immensely, supporting a wider variety of imaging tools and formats, and is now doing most of the operations.

We believe that subsurface laser etching is an underused medium, and we feel lucky to have the resources and skills to apply it to new areas of scientific visualization.  Going forward, our mission is to continue drawing proteins and small molecules, along with any other interesting 3D data that comes our way. 

Examples of unusual data we've worked with:

• atomic force microscope / scanning electron micrograph: DNA origami, a tadpole tooth(!)
• math functions: 3D Hilbert curve
• LIDAR scan: the Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
• confocal microscopy: a retina scan
• astronomical data: the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Here are some quotes from fine folk we've worked with:

We'd like to thank for their invaluable help and support:

• Eric Martz
• The Richardson Laboratory
• Precision Laser Art
• Ken Brakke
• Thomas Munro