A few years ago, Science & Vie Junior gave me an unusual brief: illustrate viruses that are… likeable. Or at least, useful ones. The kind of subject that makes you want to roll up your sleeves.
The science behind it is genuinely fascinating. Gene therapy uses “domesticated” retroviruses — stripped of their ability to reproduce and cause disease, then loaded with a corrective gene to deliver straight into the heart of cells. The article gave them a wonderfully poetic name: delivery viruses. Think “Viropost” — a tiny, determined courier navigating the human body.
The second illustration tackled oncolytic viruses — reprogrammed viruses designed to seek out cancer cells specifically, detonate them from the inside, and call in the immune system as backup. A tumor-hunting virus, launched like a little green rocket, fully armed and ready.
The creative challenge was clear: make a complex subject accessible and fun for a young audience, without betraying the science.
3D modelling was the perfect playground. Organic, expressive shapes, bulging eyes, visible teeth, narrative props — the parcel for the delivery virus, the rocket and harpoon for the hunter. Bold, saturated colours, almost cartoon-like. Rendered with enough texture and volume to remain visually credible.
This kind of commission is a reminder of why scientific illustration is a discipline in its own right: you need to understand the subject, extract what matters, and find the right visual metaphor.
These images have just been republished in Science & Vie Junior Hors-Série #177 — May 2026, dedicated to microbes and the science of the invisible. Always glad to see they still hold up — and keep finding new readers.
Client: Science & Vie Junior / Reworld Media
