Autophagy as an on-ramp to scientific discovery

Abstract

The common view of art and science as polar opposites along the educational spectrum can sometimes mask the degree to which they inform one another. In fact, art can also serve as a way to foster interest in querying the natural world, ultimately allowing us to recruit highly creative individuals to join the scientific community. We have experienced firsthand how cellular processes, such as autophagy, which are not usually highlighted or described in detail in foundational cell biology textbooks, have served as an on-ramp for artists at the undergraduate and high school levels in the context of scientific research and science outreach, respectively. We discuss our experiences in this article and highlight the ways in which art’s many dimensions are well-suited, not only for forging connections between scientists and their communities but also for encouraging creativity in the way scientists engage with visually and conceptually complex phenomena, such as autophagy. Abbreviations: AP-3: adaptor protein complex 3; Atg27: autophagy related protein 27; STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics; STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.