Jane Richardson

1941 –

Molecular Visualization Pioneer: Transformed our Understanding of Protein Structure

Scientific Visualizer

Biophysicist

Biochemist

*Portrait of Jane Richardson surrounded by a ribbon diagram of Triose Phosphate Isomerase.*

In the life sciences, a ‘major advance’ often implies discovering a new molecule, garnering novel data, or uncovering a new biological process. But sometimes a revelation comes from someone’s unique perspective on existing data — a new way to look at otherwise familiar information that transforms everyone’s understanding. This is the legacy of Jane Richardson and how her approach to visualizing molecular structures has forever changed our understanding of proteins.

Early Life and Education

Jane Shelby Richardson was born in Teaneck, New Jersey in 1941 and her fascination with science began at an early age. An amateur astronomer throughout elementary, middle, and high school, Richardson thought she would pursue this passion in college. With plans of majoring in math, physics, and astronomy, she went to Swarthmore College only to discover philosophy and switch her major! Although she would come back to science shortly, Richardson would later say,

“I think my philosophy background is actually useful, mainly in questioning absolutely everything.”

Swarthmore College is also where Jane Richardson met David Richardson, her soon-to-be husband and lifelong scientific collaborator. After college, the two left for Boston where her husband joined a crystallography laboratory at MIT, at a time when only two crystal structures had ever been solved, myoglobin and hemoglobin. Richardson went to Harvard University to pursue a Master's in Philosophy. After her Master's, she worked as a technician alongside her husband at the bench, solving the structure of the Staphylococcus nuclease structure over the next seven years. The duo then moved to Duke University to establish their own laboratory. Richardson never studied biology nor completed a Ph.D. (although she was bestowed with three honorary Ph.D. 's) and yet her contribution to science was about to change how scientists view proteins.

Scientific Contributions

Jane Richardson’s seminal work and most enduring scientific contribution is the design and visual codification of a simplified representation for protein structure — the ribbon diagram (also known as the Richardson diagram). This representation omits the atoms in a three dimensional structure and instead highlights the backbone of the structure, emphasizing the key patterns of protein secondary structure: alpha helices, beta strands, and loop regions. Although some earlier schematics of proteins had been previously created, it was at the request of renowned biochemist Chris Anfinsen that Richardson wrote the landmark paper entitled, The Anatomy and Taxonomy of Protein Structure published in 1981 in the journal Advances in Protein Chemistry. In this review, she inspected and drew the structures of all 75 known protein structures at the time and, in doing so, developed a consistent representational system that became widely adopted. By removing the atomic detail and creating an abstract schematic representation, the innovative visualization technique not only transformed the way scientists interpret and communicate secondary structure, but also made it easier to understand and compare proteins. The ribbon diagram also made it easier to recognize protein folds in newly solved structures and to develop a classification system.

“With the possible exception of Feynman diagrams, we can’t think of a compact visual representation of scientific information, specific to a given field, that has had more impact on our understanding — in this case, on the relationship between sequence, structure and function — than the ribbon diagram and variations thereof.”

*Ribbon diagram drawn from an atom cloud.*

So powerful has the role of Richardson's ribbons been on our conceptualization of protein structure that some in the field now suggest it is time to “cut the ribbon” — a light-hearted play on words to suggest that we teach students not to rely too heavily on this simplified representation and ensure that they appreciate the full complexity of the underlying data (Bourne, 2022). Such is the danger of any such model — it’s power to synthesize and facilitate our thinking is often accompanied by the potential to oversimplify and seed misconceptions. Jane herself was well aware of these limitations,

“Such a drawing has inherent dangers, of course: by definition any simplification must omit information, and any representation which aids conceptual understanding must involve interpretation and choice. But even if one is led to miss alternative interpretations something worthwhile is gained, because understanding one conceptualization of a structure is much better than not understanding it at all.”

Richardson further explains that,

“Any interpretation in science, if it’s worth anything, emphasizes some features and drops other features. And what makes it good or bad is how good of a job you do of that. But it is worth remembering that it’s a choice.”

For her work on the visualization of proteins, as well as her contributions to structural biology (solving the structure of Super Oxide Dismutase with her husband), molecular graphics (the kinemage system and Mage program), as well as her work improving methods for X-ray crystallography structure determination (MolProbity, used worldwide for the validation of protein models), Jane received a MacArthur Genius Fellowship and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. Despite the lack of a graduate degree in biology, she was eventually awarded tenure at Duke University. She recounts,

“Well, I was certainly a real embarrassment to the university for a long time, once I became at all well known!”

“It was after I got into the National Academy of Sciences that Duke decided to give me tenure. It still took a while, because I obviously was not really quite respectable.”

Personal Life & Working as a Couple

Despite the era's prevailing gender biases, Richardson succeeded in carving out a space for herself doing the science she loved. She explains,

“These days most of the women come up through more normal channels, whereas when I was first getting started, an awfully large percentage of the women had some sort of oddball career track.”

As a couple working closely together and sharing a lab, the Richardsons defied the expectations of the day.

“I think one of the real problems now is that people insist that everyone has to be completely independent, whereas I think a lot of our strength is that we complement each other and have worked so closely together. Really couples these days are forced to develop independently, or at least give the impression of doing it. That’s a shame.”

*Jane Richardson working with her husband, David Richardson, in the laboratory.*

Although it is evident that the Richardsons shared a unique bond that transcended the typical boundaries of personal and professional life, Jane undoubtedly faced challenges that stemmed from the gender-based discrimination prevalent in the sciences during the mid-20th century. Referring to women at Duke, she relates,

“Almost all of us were sort of around the edges one way or the other.”

Conclusion

Jane Richardson, a pivotal figure in biophysics and molecular visualization, has left an indelible mark on the way we visualize and interpret biological macromolecules. Her legacy is multifaceted and her career a testament to the power of collaboration, perseverance, and diversity. Regardless of degrees, an idea — in this case a visual idea — can change the world,

“If you come up with something new that really is useful and interesting and people are convinced by it, at that point it doesn’t matter very much how you did it, or who you are.”

Science is an extremely challenging field for anyone to craft a successful career in, but especially so for a woman in the 1970's. Yet Richardson became a tenured professor at one of the United States’ most distinguished universities without a Ph.D. She received a MacArthur Genius Award but, as she recounts, would have preferred to remain "invisible." She has transformed the way biologists view and interpret molecular structures without having obtained a biology degree herself.

“There is this odd feeling that everybody in the field looks at molecules through my eyes, which is a very neat thing, but it’s also kind of scary! If I didn’t do it quite right, they’re all stuck with my misconceptions!”

*Richardson is the pioneer of the ribbon diagram in biochemistry, transforming the way scientists visualize and understand protein structures.*

We have authored and illustrated this entry with care and respect, aiming to achieve the highest standards through diligent, balanced research. We also strive to maintain the highest standards of accuracy and fairness to ensure information is diligently researched and regularly updated. Please contact us should you have further perspectives or ideas to share on this article.

Bourne, P. E., Draizen, E. J., & Mura, C. (2022). The curse of the protein ribbon diagram. PLOS Biology, 20(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001901
Kresge, N., Simoni, R. D., & Hill, R. L. (2011). Enhancing our understanding of protein structure: The work of Jane and David Richardson. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286(17). https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.o111.000223
Richardson, J. S. (1981). The anatomy and taxonomy of Protein structure. Advances in Protein Chemistry Volume 34, 167–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-3233(08)60520-3
Richardson, J. S. (1985). Schematic drawings of protein structures. Methods in Enzymology, 359–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/0076-6879(85)15026-3
Richardson, J. S. (2000). Early ribbon drawings of proteins. Nature Structural Biology, 7(8), 624–625. https://doi.org/10.1038/77912
Richardson, J.S., Roseberry, J. (2007) Jane S. Richardson Oral History Interview, Women in Duke Medicine Oral History Exhibit, Medical Center Archives.
Website Name: The Matilda Project
Title of Entry: Jane Richardson
Author: Gaël McGill
Illustrator: Fiona McGill
Editors:Sandy Marshall & Shehroze Saharan
Original Publication Date: February 16, 2024
Last Updated: March 31, 2024
Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND
Webpage Specific Tags: Jane Richardson; Protein folding; 3D molecular structures; Bioinformatics pioneer; Richardson diagram or ribbon diagram; Duke University; Structural biology; Protein geometry; Ramachandran plot contributions; Molecular visualization; Protein design principles; Macromolecular X-ray crystallography; Anfinsen's dogma; Enzyme mechanisms; Protein topology; Visualization of biological macromolecules; Structural genomics; Contributions to computational biology; Development of molecular graphics; Protein structure prediction; Mentorship in structural biology; Innovations in scientific illustration; Nobel Prize in Chemistry discussions; Women leaders in biochemistry; Education and outreach in molecular biology.
Website Tags: The Matilda Project, The Matilda Effect; Margaret W. Rossiter; Matilda Joslyn Gage; Implicit bias; Unconscious bias; Gender attribution bias; Scientific recognition bias; Gender discrimination in academia; Stereotype threat; Pay gap in STEM; Glass ceiling in science; Sexism in scientific research; Gender stereotypes in education; Gender bias in peer review; Bias in STEM hiring practices; Impact of gender bias on scientific innovation; Underrecognition of female scientists; History of women in science; Women scientists in history; Notable women in science; Pioneering women scientists; Women Nobel laureates; Female role models in science; Gender disparities in scientific research; Women's suffrage movement; Historical women's rights leaders; Historian of science; STEM gender gap; Women in STEM; STEM education; Challenges faced by women in STEM; Representation of women in tech; Initiatives to support women in STEM; Gender equity in STEM education; Encouraging girls in STEM; STEM outreach programs; Diversity in STEM curriculum; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion; Equity in education and workplace; Diversity training; Inclusion strategies; Inclusive leadership; Gender equality; Racial equity; Pay equity and transparency; Representation in media.
APA Citation
McGill, G. (2024, March 31). Jane Richardson. The Matilda Project. https://www.thematildaproject.com/scientists/jane-richardson

Author

Dr. Gaël McGill

President & Chief Executive Officer - Digizyme Inc.
Faculty & Director - Molecular Visualization at the Harvard Medical School

Dr. Gaël McGill is the Director of Molecular Visualization at the Center for Molecular and Cellular Dynamics at Harvard Medical School where his teaching and research focuses on visualization design in science education (www.visabli.org). He is also the Founder & CEO of Digizyme, Inc., a firm dedicated to the visualization and communication of science, such as through the creation of the visualization portal Clarafi.com, the mMaya software toolkit, and the Multimedia Design Atlas (MDA). McGill co-authored and served as digital director for E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth iBooks biology textbook, authored Essential Cell Biology, and is co-authoring a new undergraduate major General Biology textbook. He also writes and speaks about preserving biodiversity and sustainable engineering as part of his work with the United Nations (www.naturestoolkit.com). McGill was also a board member of the Vesalius Trust and remains an advisor to several biopharmaceutical companies.

Illustrator

Fiona McGill

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