human insulin molecular model and sonification

3D Model

This is a 3D model of human insulin molecule, converted from a 2hiu.pdb (Protein Data Bank) file. I have represented the amino acids (the building blocks of protein molecules) of the insulin molecule with musical notes, a process called scientific sonification. Here is the sound file: https://soundcloud.com/user-313087328/sonification-of-the-2hiu-human-insulin-molecule Sonification is the process of using non-speech sound properties that convey meaningful information. I mapped Insulin molecule’s amino acids to musical notes played by 4 different instruments. Each instrument determines each amino acid’s hydrophobicity: Very hydrophobic=acoustic grand piano, Hydrophobic=violin, Neutral=trumpet, Hydrophilic=xylophone. For more information about scientific sonification of molecules: Garcia-Ruiz, M.A., & Gutierrez-Pulido, J.R. (2006). An overview of auditory display to assist comprehension of molecular information. Interacting with Computers, Elsevier, 18(4).