Sayani Sarkar

Save the Paper Nautilus

I am interested in the interdependent ecological relationships between organisms in nature. Although I work with the interactions of proteins and their mechanisms inside living cells — life at its tiniest scale — I am even more curious about animal behavior and the anthropological implications of climate change. After reading Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction, I realized that art and popular science journalism might be the most effective, perhaps the only, way of disseminating what we know about the future we are actively creating. I began creating a series of paintings and sketches illustrating various specimens from the plant, fungus, and animal kingdoms, visually re-creating the etymology of their scientific names. Many of these organisms are now endangered. Visual cues from these sketches and paintings can reach both kids and adults – and facilitate their seeing the perils these animals face due to climate change. 

Sayani Sarkar is a doctoral student from Kolkata, India pursuing her doctoral studies in structural biology.