Dr John Walter, our artist in residence, holds a Wellcome Trust Large Arts Award "CAPSID" with Greg. John's work is bright, witty, intelligent and sometimes hilariously inappropriate.
CAPSID
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Triskelia from the Co-factor series. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Triskelia from the Co-factor series. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/xl_image/public/triskelia-co-factors-1064x480.jpg?itok=SwZiQxUA)
![Prof Greg Towers and Dr John Walter pose with capsid Prof Greg Towers and Dr John Walter pose with capsid](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/medium_image/public/jta-john-and-greg_x8a9473-800x480_0.jpg?itok=l2DdiQIq)
![Prof Greg Towers and Dr Richard Milne test the onesies for the film 'A Virus Walks into a Bar' Prof Greg Towers and Dr Richard Milne test the onesies for the film 'A Virus Walks into a Bar'](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/small_image/public/gt_rm_onesie-270x480.jpg?itok=MOrwtpOb)
The examples on this page will be featured in the CAPSID exhibition from 17 May until 8 July 2018 at CGP London's galleries, (The Gallery and Dilston Grove in Southwark Park). And at 'Home' in Manchester from 10 November 2018 - 6 January 2019.
For more information on the project visit John's website's Capsid page. You can also read the articles in:
.More of John's work can be seen at his website www.johnwalter.net.
![BSc students at John's teaching session: How to present your science to non experts BSc students at John's teaching session: How to present your science to non experts](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/medium_image/public/jta-students-in-onesies-img_2858-800x480.jpg?itok=iDkMgoPD)
Viruses evade our intracellular defenses through a process we call cloaking.
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Large painting. Cloak.. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Large painting. Cloak.. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/xl_image/public/johnwalter.1-large-paintings-on-paper-cloak-751x480.jpg?itok=8QttYDQQ)
Stills from the film 'Virus Walks Into A Bar' (2018) with cameos from some of the Towers group! Viral entry receptors in yellow. Innate immune pattern recognition receptors in pink.
Capsid arrives at the bar.
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/0009852-film-still-virus-delivered-to-the-bar-853x480.jpg?itok=lFJgEwEt)
Viral DNA synthesis
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' showing reverse transcription. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' showing reverse transcription. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/0019827-film-still-dna-hands-853x480.jpg?itok=UzffXrOo)
Capsid would like a drink of CPSF6. He's uncoating at the Nuclear Pore Complex (bar).
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/0022977-film-still-angry-barmaid-853x480.jpg?itok=QI5Bj7OH)
Capsid is looking to recruit his cofactors
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Still from the film 'A Virus Walks Into A Bar' Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/0027725-film-still-in-the-bar-853x480.jpg?itok=7ZPzikVu)
Are pentamers important for cofactor binding, do we have a good pentamer structure?
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Pentamer Crisis. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Pentamer Crisis. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.9-sale-drawings-the-pentamer-crisis-393x480.jpg?itok=1hLKhZop)
Can you tell what a protein is by looking at its structure? Eg the CA hexamer. We don't think so.
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. 'Fists' the blue hand. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. 'Fists' the blue hand. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.12-fists-pink-y-blue-hand-333x480.jpg?itok=SNlFw1CA)
The process by which newly formed viruses leave infected cells is called budding. We work on a protein called tetherin that tethers the new virions preventing them from leaving to infect new cells.
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Budding (googly eyes). Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Budding (googly eyes). Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.5-1-623x480.jpg?itok=ZBac1Zia)
Budding (googly eyes). Acrylic, ink, PVA, expanding foam filler, doll, organza, shrinkies, papier-mâché, silicone, foam and floam on circular canvas. 87 x 140 x 10cm
What are the capsid hexamers for? Do they import nucleotides to fuel encapsidated DNA synthesis, or not?
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Palimpsest. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Palimpsest. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.25-palimpsests-636x480.jpg?itok=KSbqnpCz)
Does HIV-1 only have 1 packaging sequence or are there lots of RNA-CA contacts? Is this how RT influences uncoating? Very interesting questions.
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Packaging Sequencing. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Packaging Sequencing. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.29-packaging-sequence-623x480.jpg?itok=77nWObDG)
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. The RNA book. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. The RNA book. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.54-rna-book-strange-suicide-634x480.jpg?itok=IjmD_tIr)
Cofactors are non viral proteins that help the virus infect cells. Host proteins often changes the shape of the viral protein in a process called allostery. What allosteric effects does CypA have on the HIV hexamer?
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Co-Factor from allostery. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Co-Factor from allostery. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.20-co-factor-741x480.jpg?itok=Ppp_ckkt)
Two pictures from the Cytoplasm series. Chaos or totally organised. How does HIV-1 see it?
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. From the Cytoplasm series. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. From the Cytoplasm series. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.29-1-cytoplasm-poo-444x480.jpg?itok=J0_HO2Gy)
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. From the Cytoplasm series. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. From the Cytoplasm series. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/johnwalter.32-cytoplasm-hexamer-454x480.jpg?itok=fjf0tO0X)
Viral cofactors or restriction factors - hospitality or hostility? Or both?
![Artwork by Dr John Walter. Large painting on paper. Hopsitality. Image by Jonathan Bassett Artwork by Dr John Walter. Large painting on paper. Hopsitality. Image by Jonathan Bassett](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/xl_image/public/johnwalter.5-large-paintings-on-paper-hospitality-751x480.jpg?itok=EJ0J8SlL)
CAPSID at 'Home', Manchester
CAPSID has opened at the 'Home' Gallery in Manchester with over 1000 people through the doors on its first day providing the Gallery with its most successful opening to date.
![Descriptive text for the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' Manchester Descriptive text for the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' Manchester](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/pe-capsid-exhibition-manchester-description-800x480.jpeg?itok=OKJ8Uyp_)
![Greg and John at the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester Greg and John at the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/pe-greg-and-john-at-capsid-manchester-800x480.jpg?itok=cW6qIkng)
![Greg and John at the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester Greg and John at the CAPSID exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/pe-greg-and-john-capsid-manchester-img_2713-800x480.jpeg?itok=_2O-zmLR)
![CAPSID Exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester. Photo credit Lee Baxter CAPSID Exhibition at 'Home' in Manchester. Photo credit Lee Baxter](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/towers-lab/sites/towers_lab/files/styles/non_responsive/public/pe-capsid-exhibition-home-196a7308-800x480.jpeg?itok=Wc_KjZsv)