data visualization + art

The Personal OncoGenomics Program (POG) is a research initiative to study the impact of embedding genomic sequencing into real-time treatment planning for BC patients with metastatic cancers. Based out of the BC Cancer Research Centre and the GSC, POG is a large world-class clinical research collaboration of BC Cancer oncologists, pathologists and other clinical staff, researchers and technical personnel throughout BC healthcare facilities.

Interested in more art based on the POG570 cohort from the Personal OncoGenomics Program? Check out our 5-year POG anniversary posters and desktops.

Nature Cancer Cover — April 2020 issue

Pan-cancer genomic landscapes of advanced tumors after therapy

Pleasance, E., Titmuss, E., Williamson, L. et al. (2020) Pan-cancer analysis of advanced patient tumors reveals interactions between therapy and genomic landscapes. Nat Cancer 1:452–468.

Art is science in love.
— E.F. Weisslitz

Martin Krzywinski / Martin Krzywinski @MKrzywinski mkweb.bcgsc.ca

▲ Desktop image based on our design of the Nature Cancer April 2020 cover accompanying Pan-cancer genomic landscapes of advanced tumors after therapy. (download desktops)

≡ method poster desktops credits

Nature Cancer selected our design for the cover of the April 2020 issue. The design is based on the mutations of 570 cancer genomes, which we report on in "Pan-cancer genomic landscapes of advanced tumors after therapy" [1] that appears in the issue.

Here, you can read about the method behind the design, its inspiration and download images to bring the cover to your desktop.

▲ Mutation spectra of patients from the POG570 cohort of 570 individuals with advanced metastatic cancer. Each ellipse system represents the mutation spectrum of an individual patient. Individual ellipses in the system correspond to the number of base changes in a given class and are layered by mutation count. Ellipse angle is controlled by the proportion of mutations in a class within the sample and its size is determined by a sigmoid mapping of mutation count scaled within the layer. The opacity of each system represents the duration since the diagnosis of advanced disease. (Read about the design.)

▲ A poster of the cover with an interpretive legend. (Get the poster)

VIEW ALL

news + thoughts

Ishihara's Tests for Colour Deficiency

Sun 08-03-2026

Authentic and accurate images of Ishihara's test plates photographed (and lovingly color-corrected) from the 38-plate Ishihara's Tests for Colour Deficiency.

I also provide the position, size, and color of each circle on each test plate.

Martin Krzywinski @MKrzywinski mkweb.bcgsc.ca

▲ ISHIHARA'S TEST PLATE 6 | This plate is part of the set of transformation plates. If you see 5, you're ok. If you see 2, you're not. (details)

▲ ISHIHARA'S TEST PLATE 18 | This plate is part of the set of mysterious hidden plates. If you don't see anything, you're ok. If you see 5, you're not. (details)

Symmetric alternatives to the ordinary least squares regression

Wed 23-07-2025

What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry? — William Blake, "The Tyger"

This month, we look at symmetric regression, which, unlike simple linear regression, it is reversible — remaining unaltered when the variables are swapped.

Simple linear regression can summarize the linear relationship between two variables `X` and `Y` — for example, when `Y` is considered the response (dependent) and `X` the predictor (independent) variable.

However, there are times when we are not interested (or able) to distinguish between dependent and independent variables — either because they have the same importance or the same role. This is where symmetric regression can help.

▲ Nature Methods Points of Significance column: Symmetric alternatives to the ordinary least squares regression. Geometry of quantities minimized in OLS and symmetric regression. OLS minimizes `\Sigma e_y^2` in `Y` ~ `X` and `\Sigma e_x^2` `X` ~ `Y`. Pythagorean regression minimizes AB (magenta). Geometric means regression (GMR) minimizes area of ABP (orange). Orthogonal regression (OR) minimizes HP (blue). (read)

Luca Greco, George Luta, Martin Krzywinski & Naomi Altman (2025) Points of significance: Symmetric alternatives to the ordinary least squares regression. Nat. Methods 22:1610–1612.

Beyond Belief Campaign BRCA Art

Wed 11-06-2025

Fuelled by philanthropy, findings into the workings of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have led to groundbreaking research and lifesaving innovations to care for families facing cancer.

This set of 100 one-of-a-kind prints explore the structure of these genes. Each artwork is unique — if you put them all together, you get the full sequence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins.

Propensity score weighting

Mon 17-03-2025

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. —Mr. Spock (Star Trek II)

This month, we explore a related and powerful technique to address bias: propensity score weighting (PSW), which applies weights to each subject instead of matching (or discarding) them.

▲ Nature Methods Points of Significance column: Propensity score weighting. (read)

Kurz, C.F., Krzywinski, M. & Altman, N. (2025) Points of significance: Propensity score weighting. Nat. Methods 22:638–640.

Happy 2025 π Day—
TTCAGT: a sequence of digits

Thu 13-03-2025

Celebrate π Day (March 14th) and sequence digits like its 1999. Let's call some peaks.

▲ 2025 π DAY | TTCAGT: a sequence of digits. The digits of π are encoded into DNA sequence and visualized with Sanger sequencing. (details)