Western Blot Apparatus

Here is a rare painting of a western blot apparatus, used in the research laboratory to measure proteins. The device on the right in red and green is the chamber, it pulls proteins through a gelatinous rectangle floating in a buffered saline solution. On the left is the power pack that supplies electricity. A bottle of ponceau sits in the middle, it is a pink dye used to stain the proteins after the test completes to check for quality. Other accoutrements like graduate cyclinder, basin, blue sharpie, gel comb, pipette with loading tip, and a Styrofoam box adorn the picture. Like all labs, a jumble of shelves, doors and eerie fluorescent lamps complete the scene. Unlike the TV shows, real labs tend to be well it but rather bland, so I had to arrange these objects and select some colourful items to create a good still life arrangement. Van Gogh did a painting called Still Life with Coffee Pot, which inspired some of the composition and idea for this one.

Western Blot Apparatus, watercolour 8 x 10" 80lb, May 2024