Bridge RNAs: mechanism of action

Client:

Arc Institute is a nonprofit research organization that operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

Arc Institute is a nonprofit research organization that operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

Client:

Project Goal

Create an explainer MoA animation about the Bridge RNAs - a newly discovered, highly promising DNA editing tool.

E.coli bacteria with transposable elements visualizaed in the genome
E.coli bacteria with transposable elements visualizaed in the genome
E.coli bacteria with transposable elements visualizaed in the genome
E.coli bacteria with transposable elements visualizaed in the genome

Transposons in the bacterial genome

Donor DNA with transposases and bridge RNAs

Transposases active site shown as ribbons inside the molecular complex
Transposases active site shown as ribbons inside the molecular complex
Transposases active site shown as ribbons inside the molecular complex
Transposases active site shown as ribbons inside the molecular complex

Active site inside the transposase complex

“We were impressed with the Visual Science team’s attention to detail and ability to extract key messages out of a complex scientific story. Their deep understanding of the science enabled them to turn our cryo-EM structures into a beautiful visual that shows the key aspects of the bridge recombination mechanism.”

“We were impressed with the Visual Science team’s attention to detail and ability to extract key messages out of a complex scientific story. Their deep understanding of the science enabled them to turn our cryo-EM structures into a beautiful visual that shows the key aspects of the bridge recombination mechanism.”

Patrick Hsu
Patrick Hsu
Patrick Hsu

Co-Founder and Core Investigator at the Arc Institute

and Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Deb Faculty Fellow

at the University of California, Berkeley

Short insertion in the DNA molecule
Short insertion in the DNA molecule
Short insertion in the DNA molecule
Short insertion in the DNA molecule

DNA insertion

Bacterial transposase dimer in complex with genomic DNA and bridge RNA
Bacterial transposase dimer in complex with genomic DNA and bridge RNA
Bacterial transposase dimer in complex with genomic DNA and bridge RNA
Bacterial transposase dimer in complex with genomic DNA and bridge RNA

Transposase dimers on genomic DNA

Bridge RNA loops reprogramming

The Process

Animation type:

3D + High End 3D

Project timline:

7 weeks

Review:

3 zoom calls + 7 e-mail feedback sessions

Team:

Find out which of our 26 scientific animation options works best for investor relations and communications:

This animation illustrates the recent discovery by a team of scientists from the Arc Istitute and collaborators from the University of Tokyo, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. The animation's topic involves cutting-edge high-science research, so it required a very intense and rigorous effort from our scientific department.

We had to consider a plethora of details to ensure that every molecular model and sequence was accurate, and all the depictions of processes were correct. We are glad to have achieved such an accurate and beautiful result. The project timeline was very limited, requiring completion in time for publication of the client's scientific results in Nature.

Why did we use this
animation type?

Sophisticated molecular animations always require our High-end 3D style. In this case, we were showcasing very complex molecular interactions from the recombination process. We received partial intermediate PDB structures from client-side scientists and conducted a substantial amount of molecular modeling.

For some scenes, we used our Deck3D approach, based on more static visualizations, made more dynamic with 3D compositing and 2D animation tools. Based on the animation, we also created a set of additional illustrations, some of which were used as a cover proposal for Nature.

Full animation

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Visual Science is an award-winning medical animation and digital scientific communications company, trusted by leading biotech and pharmaceutical organizations since 2007, including J&J, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Gilead, AbbVie, and 100+ others.

We specialize in science-grade MoA and MoD videos, medical animation, and scientific storytelling, as well as digital and AI-driven solutions for Medical Affairs, marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations.

Contacts

US toll-free

1 888 374-16-95

NY

1 516 340-37-30

London

44 20 3734-2517

Address

200 Vesey Street, 24th floor,
New York, NY 10281, USA

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© 2026, Visual Science. All rights reserved.

Privacy policy & Cookie policy

Visual Science is an award-winning medical animation and digital scientific communications company, trusted by leading biotech and pharmaceutical organizations since 2007, including J&J, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Gilead, AbbVie, and 100+ others.

We specialize in science-grade MoA and MoD videos, medical animation, and scientific storytelling, as well as digital and AI-driven solutions for Medical Affairs, marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations.

Contacts

US toll-free

1 888 374-16-95

NY

1 516 340-37-30

London

44 20 3734-2517

Address

200 Vesey Street, 24th floor,
New York, NY 10281, USA

Social networks

LinkedIn Logo
Vimeo Logo

© 2026, Visual Science. All rights reserved.

Privacy policy & Cookie policy

Visual Science is an award-winning medical animation and digital scientific communications company, trusted by leading biotech and pharmaceutical organizations since 2007, including J&J, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Gilead, AbbVie, and 100+ others.

We specialize in science-grade MoA and MoD videos, medical animation, and scientific storytelling, as well as digital and AI-driven solutions for Medical Affairs, marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations.

Contacts

US toll-free

1 888 374-16-95

NY

1 516 340-37-30

London

44 20 3734-2517

Address

200 Vesey Street, 24th floor,
New York, NY 10281, USA

Social networks

LinkedIn Logo
Vimeo Logo

© 2026, Visual Science. All rights reserved.

Privacy policy & Cookie policy

Visual Science is an award-winning medical animation and digital scientific communications company, trusted by leading biotech and pharmaceutical organizations since 2007, including J&J, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Gilead, AbbVie, and 100+ others.

We specialize in science-grade MoA and MoD videos, medical animation, and scientific storytelling, as well as digital and AI-driven solutions for Medical Affairs, marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations.

Contacts

US toll-free

1 888 374-16-95

NY

1 516 340-37-30

London

44 20 3734-2517

Address

200 Vesey Street, 24th floor, New York, NY 10281, USA

© 2026, Visual Science. All rights reserved.

Privacy policy & Cookie policy

Visual Science Logo
Visual Science Logo
Visual Science Logo