How to Paint the Cell Biology Picture:

A Structural Biologist on Visualizing Discovery

What does it really look like inside a living cell? On this episode of the SayoStudio Science Podcast, we talk with structural biologist Dr. Manuel Leonetti from the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, whose team is mapping the location of proteins inside cells. He takes us on a tour of his research and how he paints a cell biology picture with proteins. Using advanced microscopy techniques, they’re building what he describes as a “treasure map” of the cell, revealing the hidden architecture that makes life possible.

“Very often, behind every weird thing is a really cool discovery.”

— Manu Leonetti

We recently collaborated with Manu’s lab to turn their data into a hand-drawn animation. In this conversation, we go deeper into the science behind that work, explore how visuals help us grasp the complexity of biology, and hear Manu’s thoughts on why artists are essential partners in scientific discovery. At SayoStudio, this is exactly the kind of intersection we strive for: where research meets creativity, and science becomes a visual story.

From Chemistry to Cellular Cartography

Manu started out in chemistry and journeyed through molecular neurobiology, eventually landing in the field of structural biology, a discipline dedicated to understanding how the components of life come together. His fascination has remained consistent throughout: how structures are built, from atoms all the way up to entire cells.

“I think throughout my journey, I’ve been asking very much the same questions,” Manu says, “but zooming out, from the atomic to the molecular to now the cellular level.”

In his lab today, that journey has become a mission to map the cellular environment, especially focusing on where proteins are located and how they interact to create the living architecture of the cell.

Cell Biology: A Science Built on Seeing

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation was how Manu described cell biology as a deeply visual science — one that was born with the invention of the microscope. “For the longest time,” he said, “people would just look at cells and be drawn to what looked cool or surprising. They’d say, ‘What is that weird thing?’ And very often, behind every weird thing is a really cool discovery.”

This approach, a blend of curiosity, visual intuition, and technological innovation, is what continues to drive discoveries in the field. But despite the advances in microscopy, what we see is often just a fragmented glimpse of what’s really happening.

Why Art is Essential to Visualizing the Cellular Workforce

With such a rich trove of visual data from fluorescent microscopy, some might wonder if scientific illustration is still necessary. Manu’s response? An enthusiastic yes. “Our observations are just the tip of the iceberg” he says. “The inside of a cell is mind-blowingly busy. It’s like a high-density fluid, where everything is shoulder-to-shoulder. Most people imagine cells as bags of liquid, but they’re incredibly crowded and complex.”

This is where visual storytelling becomes indispensable. Scientific illustrators can synthesize scattered data into cohesive, intuitive images to conveying a more complete picture than raw microscopy images alone. One shared inspiration is cell biologist and artist David Goodsell. His watercolor renderings of cellular interiors reveal just how intricate and densely packed cells are. As Manu explains, art gives us a “gut feeling” about biological complexity, a feeling that’s hard to capture with numbers or even photos.

Building the Cell Picture with Proteins: Life’s Molecular LEGO Bricks

At the heart of Dr. Manuel Leonetti’s work, and really, life itself, are proteins. “They are the fundamental actors,” Manu said, “from structure to communication to movement. Pretty much everything that happens in a cell involves proteins in some way.”

He calls proteins the “LEGO bricks of the living”—modular parts reused in countless ways to build, run, and repair our cells. With around 20,000 types in the human body, each cell draws on a unique mix. Many have very specific roles, while others can switch depending on the need.

But cells aren’t tidy like a LEGO manual. They’re crowded, dynamic, and constantly in motion. Dr. Leonetti compares the interior to a jam-packed football game.

Picturing Cellular Movement and Processes with Art

Take microtubules, for example. These protein structures form highways across the cell, where tiny molecular motors walk, carrying cargo from one end to the other. These motors can travel astonishing distances (by cell standards), especially in neurons that span from our brain to the spinal cord. One of these motors looks like it’s walking with two legs. If you’ve ever seen an animation of it walking along a filament, you know how mesmerizing and inspiring it can be. In fact, illustrating those tiny walkers along microtubules was an aha moment for our founder, Nicolle Fuller, confirming that she’d chosen the right career path.

This is where art becomes not just helpful, but essential. Scientists often gather static snapshots through tools like high-resolution microscopy. But it’s through animation and artistic reconstructions that we can bring these still frames to life and intuitively understand the big picture. Dr. Leonetti emphasizes how science art can take fragmented experimental data and translate it into dynamic stories that feel real. Stories that students and fellow researchers alike can see and connect with.

“Artists have this superpower” he says, “of bringing us closer to very difficult technical concepts… and letting us use our intuition to understand them.”

For many scientists, visualizing biology isn’t just a teaching aid; it’s a research tool. For someone as visually oriented as Dr. Leonetti, being able to see a process unfold helps generate new questions, fresh ideas, and sometimes entire new research directions.

From Snapshots to Systems: Charting Protein Neighborhoods

This brings us to Dr. Leonetti’s latest research, which is pushing the frontier of cell biology. Traditionally, scientists study the location of one or two proteins at a time. But to truly understand a cell, you need to see the whole cast of characters, where they live, and how thousands of proteins work together like a molecular city.

To do that, his lab is pioneering techniques that move beyond the microscope. One of the tools they now use is mass spectrometry, which is like DNA sequencing but for proteins. It gives researchers a global snapshot of which proteins are present in a cell, how much of each is there, and — crucially — where they are located within the cell.

“Mass spec” might sound like a throwback to general chemistry class, but in Dr. Leonetti’s hands, it’s a tool for big-picture biological exploration. It allows scientists to map out the neighborhoods of proteins in the cityscape of the cell, spotting patterns and surprises that wouldn’t be visible otherwise.

Making Science Seen

We’re incredibly grateful to Dr. Manu Leonetti for sharing his time, research, and infectious curiosity with us. His work not only pushes the boundaries of how we study cells, it’s also a powerful example of how science and art can work together to illuminate the invisible world inside us all. If you’re curious about some of the other work we’ve done for CZ Biohub, be sure to check out our Human Cell Atlas Science Magazine cover art.

And thank you for reading (or listening!). If this conversation sparked your imagination, be sure to check out more episodes and stories on the SayoStudio Science Podcast. We talk with leading researchers and innovators about the science shaping our world and the visuals that help make it clear.

At SayoStudio, we’re passionate about helping scientists communicate their work in compelling, accurate, and visually stunning ways. Whether you’re uncovering the mysteries of cells, designing new technologies, or sharing groundbreaking discoveries, we’re here to help you bring your research to life.

Let’s make science seen—and understood.