In many areas of oncology, we lack sensitive tools to track low burden disease. The authors developed a framework for cell-free DNA cancer monitoring that allows ultra-sensitive detection after surgery. When tumor DNA is detected, the decision to resume treatment can be made, long before visible tumors form.
I designed these figures to help explain the advantages of the new method and its steps.
From Genome-wide cell-free DNA mutational integration enables ultra-sensitive cancer monitoring, A. Zviran et al., Nature Medicine, 2020
Chris Hammang ANIMATION
Christian Stolte ART DIRECTION
Drew Berry TECHNICAL DIRECTION
Sean O'Donoghue, Kate Patterson PRODUCERS
David Topping, Trevor Lockett,
Julie Clarke SCIENTIFIC CONSULTATION
Richard Tamplenizza MUSIC + MIXING
Tara Webb SOUND DESIGN
Kenneth Sabir ADDITIONAL RECORDING
Our DNA encodes, among other things, instructions for making proteins from amino acids. This diagram shows how codons (3-letter chunks of genetic code) are translated into amino acids. By organizing the chart around the second letter of the triplets, all codons for the same amino acid lie together. Chemically similar amino acids also appear grouped.
It turns out there is a biological reason: when reading our DNA, the transcription machinery in our cells attaches itself to the center of each codon, then swings left and right to read the adjoining bases.
Combining anatomic diagrams with stylized representations of cell lineages creates a clear sense of context for this series of screening experiments.
Commissioned by the GTEx Consortium, I developed this concept to show genetic profiles varying from person to person, and between tissues.
Executed in collaboration with Val Altounian, Science.