Protein hologram is a world first

A UNIVERSITY of Edinburgh-based start-up company has claimed a "world first" by creating a 3D hologram of a protein for use in biomedical research.

Holoxica has developed a unique system of visualising bio-molecular structures and has lined up a number of customers for the technology, including Manchester-based Protein Technologies and research institutes.

The firm, backed by EPSRC (the engineering and physical sciences research council), the Technology Strategy Board and Scottish Enterprise, is seeking investment to fund a second generation prototype of its technology.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Javid Khan, managing director of Holoxica, said: "In developing this world first, we anticipate this 3D modelling will enable the global bio-chemical community to visualise the complexities of molecules or proteins in a far more detailed way.

"It's even possible to do some animation where the structure can be rotated as the viewer moves around the hologram or it can peel away to reveal underlying structures from different angles."

Holoxica uses information from the Protein Database to produce holograms that are geometrically accurate and to scale.