Sweet Existence

Sweet Existence is a collaboration between Karen, Prof. Steve Eichorn and the IBCarb network.

It is a series of 19 paintings depicting the wide role of sugars in both the body, plants and composites.

Gold Plate I-Sugar ‘chip’ for diagnostic devices . Sugar molecules can be attached to gold plates for study .

Gold Plate II-A rapid readout technique makes gold ‘chips’a high throughput technology . Changes in sugar structures can be indicative of various disease states.

Gold Plate III-Determining the structures of sugars is a significant experimental and analytical challenge . Scientists are developing mass spectronomy based techniques.

Mono's & Poly's-The liver is responsible for blood sugar regulation and many other roles in carbohydrate metabolism

Golgi-The Golgi works closely with the endoplasmic reticulum. It completes the process of sugar addition to bio molecules then packages them for transportation to the cell surface

Pulse I - In the bloodstream sugar molecules ( green) are transported via blood vessels to supply energy to the cells in our bodies .

Pulse lll- Plaque build up on the arteries in atheroslerosis

Pulse lV-Plaque build up on the arteries in atheroslerosis

Pulse V-Plaque build up on the arteries in atheroslerosis

Pulse VI-Plaque build up on the arteries in atheroslerosis

Pulse II-Sugars diffusing out of capillaries into the extra cellular space .

Extracellular Matrix Il- Four large cells supported by the extracellular matrix , with sugars ( yellow) dispersed throughout.

Extracellular Matrix lll- Four large cells supported by the extracellular matrix , with sugars ( yellow) dispersed throughout.

Extracellular Matrix IV- Four large cells supported by the extracellular matrix , with sugars ( yellow) dispersed throughout.

Extracellular Matrix v

Extracellular Matrix I-Extracellular Matrix A cross section of three cells in the extracellular matrix. The extracellular contains many sugar based bio molecules .

Beginnings I -You wouldn’t be here today without sugars !

Beginnings II-You wouldn’t be here today without sugars !

Beginnings III-You wouldn’t be here today without sugars !

Miracle Of Life I-Sugar molecules make the outer coat of the egg ‘sticky’. The sugar chain known as the Sialyl-Lewis-X sequence (SLeX).

Miracle Of Life II-Sugars in milk are important from birth . Human milk sugars are important for brain development and for preventing bacterial infections in infants.

Power Of Light-Leaf cross section-chloroplasts ( green ) and stomata (red) play a role in photosynthesis

Vascular Bundle-Chloroplasts within cells with starches around. Plants are mostly made up with sugars, therefore can provide renewable substitutes for energy

Starch Brilliance-A montage of different attaches taken from slides under a microscope.

Blue Green Algae I-Taken from slides under a microscope . Algae are photosynthetic organisms that can produce a range of sugar-based molecules that are useful in everyday products including alginates.

Blue Green Algae II-In order to grow algae for their useful products, they can be industrially cultivated in an immense and controlled way using photbioreactors