DNA

As part of the redesign of the lobby at Serono’s Rockland, MA site, three strands of DNA commissioned to high-light its mezzanine. Each strand is approximately 12 feet in length and is made of stainless steel. In the sculpture polished base-paired nucleotides join metal ribbons representing the phosphoro-deoxyribose DNA backbone. The Dervan DNA sculpture is built in a similar fashion; however, all of the base pairs of a particular sequence are represented and a molecule designed by Professor Dervan to recognize that DNA sequence is also included. The Dervan DNA sculpture was commissioned by his former students and postdoctoral fellows. An outdoor DNA piece and a smaller piece showing the trp operon were all made using the same technique.