Bacteriophage T4

thingiverse

Note: The original description of this virus inaccurately described and named bacteriophage T7, a temperate phage that has seen different uses in molecular biology. Apologies, I'm not sure how I made such a fundamental mistake, given how the viruses even look quite distinctly different.. Uses the Icosahedron script from whosawhatsis, which was kindly shared under a CC-BY-SA license also. Original script is available here:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing%3A12097 This is a model of Bacteriophage T4, an organism in genetics that has been used for decades in labs around the world. Enzymes and genetic systems derived from T4 have seen extensive use in-vitro, such as T4 DNA ligase, which is used for joining lengths of DNA together. These days, T4 doesn't get nearly as much attention, but it's still an incredible micro-organism; a futuristic, spaceship-shaped virus that can lie in wait for generations hidden in the genome of an unsuspecting E.coli cell, awaiting the day that it erupts into infectious disease. This model is available on Shapeways for purchase:http://www.shapeways.com/model/452247/bacteriophage_t7_model.html Instructions Sadly, this probably will not print at all on a domestic 3D printer. Bacteriophages have a beautiful, complex structure, but it is not a structure given to vertical printing without support. If you need to edit the size of the model, you will have to use the (included) scale function, because I didn't parameterise the model yet. Sloppy, I know. However, for now you can buy the model on Shapeways:http://www.shapeways.com/model/452247/bacteriophage_t7_model.html It turns out quite nicely in one of the "Strong and Flexible" materials, but will not print successfully in metal, sadly.