case study / shipped
RNA Synthesis Visualizer
DNA → RNA transcription visualizer with 3D helix and animated base-pair display.
stack
Problem
Transcription diagrams in textbooks are static. A first-semester course needed a dynamic tool that makes base-pair complementarity and polymerase traversal intuitive.
Approach
Pure Python desktop app with Tkinter for controls and Matplotlib for the animated 3D helix. Each transcription step is rendered frame by frame so the visual matches the algorithmic process.
Outcome
Shipped for the computational biology module. Demonstrates Python visualisation and biology domain awareness.
Key decisions
Matplotlib 3D axes for helix geometry — no external game engines or WebGL.
Animated frame loop tied to transcription state, not a timer, for educational clarity.
Self-contained desktop GUI: one script, zero server dependency.