Table 2.

Highlights of the collaboration between artists and scientists in this study.

Artist Contribution	Scientist Perspective
Methodological Approach
Three visual artists and a musician were invited to read a simplified version of our recent review on AKR/SUB functional evolution [17] and were challenged with the conserved function of these proteins in the regulation of different biological processes throughout the metazoan.	In response to this challenge, the artists contributed the pieces, musical scores, and interpretations shown in the paper in order to provide their view on this matter. Artists’ contributions served to inspire scientists to discuss and find new perspectives on unexplored characteristics of these proteins with putative functional implications.
Piece in Figure 1A
The artist represents the origins of life, with multiple geometric images that interact to illustrate in different species the conserved function of these proteins in biological processes represented by the sea, paper boat, Picasso’s dove, and a fetus growing in a mother’s womb while opening its eyes to the world.	From a scientist’s perspective, a new and unexplored facet of possible functional relevance of AKR dimerization was proposed in this piece.
Piece in Figure 2A
The artist describes the constant movement of these proteins that translate into the visual rhythm of repetitive interconnected interactions of forms and colors.	From a scientist’s perspective, the possibility that AKR physically interacts with different proteins simultaneously to regulate various biological processes defined by cell-specific AKR–protein interactions was proposed in this piece.
Piece in Figure 6A
The artist proposed that what you are looking for is also looking for you, highlighting that nothing wants to tell you something and it is only a matter of finding how to perceive the message.	From a scientist’s perspective, this message challenges the view that AKR–protein interactions occur randomly and suggests that these interactions are functionally relevant in the regulation of different biological processes as occurs with other regulatory factors.
Musical Scores in Figure 5 and Figures S2–S4
A revised algorithm using musical ensembles was applied to translate the AKR and interacting protein sequences into music.	The results supported that AKR in different species are evolutionarily related and structurally conserved, and confirmed AKR2–protein interactions identified in this study. Therefore, this tool may be used for evolutionary studies and the prediction of protein–protein interactions.