“Welcoming unwelcomed guests,” is a scientific illustration of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding to a cellular receptor.
It shows the arrangement of membrane, envelope, and spike proteins, with special focus on the interaction that makes infection possible.
I created this illustration as a proposed journal cover, during a class of Illustra Microscopia conducted by Academia Illustraciencia.
The process gave me the opportunity to study the virus’s protein structure in depth, as well as the connections between spike proteins and receptors, to ensure scientific accuracy.
For the illustration, I used outlines made with a 3D imaging program, while all composition, shading, and color were done by hand in Photoshop.
