Harwell Campus and Diamond Light Source unveil new public artwork

Harwell Campus and Diamond Light Source, have unveiled ‘Fragments’, a new public interactive artwork inspired by the pioneering scientific discoveries taking place at Harwell campus.

Fragments is a series of three large-scale sculptures, inspired by protein-ligand crystal structures, and was created by design studio Acrylicize in collaboration with James Sandy, senior beamline scientist at Diamond Light Source. The sculptures are over two billion times larger than the fragments themselves.

A key inspiration behind Fragments was the Covid Moonshot project. Scientists at Diamond Light Source used the synchrotron to determine the three-dimensional structure of a key coronavirus protein known as Mpro, which enables the virus to replicate.

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Rebecca Duvall, head of community at Harwell Campus, said: “At Harwell, we’re committed to creating a campus that inspires curiosity as much as scientific discovery. Fragments celebrates the breakthroughs that have changed lives around the world while creating a shared space where our community and visitors can engage with science in a new and meaningful way.”

James Sandy, senior beamline scientist at Diamond Light Source, said: “The molecular structures represented in Fragments were identified through a collaborative effort involving scientists and facilities from around the world.

“It’s wonderful to see that research brought into the public realm in such an imaginative way. The sculptures provide a tangible connection between the fundamental science taking place at Diamond and its potential to improve lives through the development of new medicines.”