Pluripotent Short Film

The Problem.

A pluripotent stem cell has the potential to become almost any cell in the body. The objective of this project was to create an engaging visualization that would capture the idea of a cell that holds within it a rich spectrum of possible realizations. We wanted to create an animation that woul appeal to even non-scientists, while serving meaningful and informative scientific content.

The Morphing Cell.

We were searching for a way to represent the concept of a cell that can differentiate into almost any cell in the body in a way that would be immediately understood by anyone. We developed the idea of a cell that disentegrates into thousands of tiny particles that can re-assemble into new forms.

Becoming a New Cell.

We wanted to represent the idea of a stem cell that holds the potential to form a new cell, but that hasn't quite become it. To achieve this, the morphing particles assemble into the shape of new cells, like a red blood cell, but fluctuate in space and time.

A Tree of Possibilities.

A stem cell contains the potential not just to differentiate into specific types, but holds within it a branching network of possible lineages. To illustrate this idea, the morphing particles transition into a  fluctuating tree, each representing the possible differentiation pathways the cell can follow.