Jane S. Richardson

"Making these drawings was a fascinating process. First, the structures are very aesthetically pleasing—especially, for me, the varied and elegant curves. . . . Second, making a drawing can change one's scientific understanding of a protein."

A biochemistry professor at Duke University, Jane S. Richardson is best known for her amazing portraits of proteins. These portraits, first hand-drawn and now computer-painted, show proteins as intertwined ribbons, demonstrating how the parts of these large molecules twist, fold, and unfold. Richardson's cool graphics are the standard for picturing proteins, helping scientists understand how proteins work and how to build them.

Jane S. Richardson was born in 1941 in Teaneck, New Jersey. At an early age, she showed a great knack for science. In high school she placed third in the 1958 Westinghouse Science Talent Search: the nation’s top science fair, known today as the Intel Science and Engineering Fair. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and a master’s degree from Harvard University in 1966. Since 1970 she has worked at Duke University, where she and her husband, David, work together investigating proteins.

Using her 3-D pictures of proteins, she and her husband have been able to learn a great deal about factors that affect the 3-D shape of proteins and how, in turn, the 3-D shape affects protein behavior. Using this information, they have been able to design and make synthetic proteins that are not found in nature. These synthetic proteins tell us a great deal about how natural proteins work, and someday new synthetic proteins might act as drugs or have other medical uses.

Richardson Laboratory Web page, Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center.

3D Macromolecule Analysis and Kinemage Home Page at the Richardson Laboratory.