The Color of North: The Molecular Language of Proteins and the Future of Life

by Shahir S. Rizk, Maggie M. Fink

An awe-inspiring journey into the world of proteins—how they shape life, and their remarkable potential to heal our bodies and our planet.

Each fall, a robin begins the long trek north from Gibraltar to her summer home in Central Europe. Nestled deep in her optic nerve, a tiny protein turns a lone electron into a compass, allowing her to see north in colors we can only dream of perceiving.

Taking us beyond the confines of our own experiences, The Color of North traverses the kingdom of life to uncover the myriad ways that proteins shape us and all organisms on the planet. Inside every cell, a tight-knit community of millions of proteins skillfully contort into unique shapes to give fireflies their ghostly glow, enable the octopus to see predators with its skin, and make humans fall in love. Collectively, proteins orchestrate the intricate relationships within ecosystems and forge the trajectory of life. And yet, nature has exploited just a fraction of their immense potential. Shahir Rizk and Maggie Fink show how breathtaking advances in protein engineering are expanding on nature’s repertoire, introducing proteins that can detect environmental pollutants, capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and treat diseases from cancer to COVID-19.

Weaving together themes of memory, migration, and family with cutting-edge research, The Color of North unveils a molecular world in which proteins are the pulsing heart of life. Ultimately, we gain a new appreciation for our intimate connections to the world around us and a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Genres: Science, Biology, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Nilendu Misra]

Why do “microtubules” share a universal structure among living kingdoms? Why are optical sensing proteins basket shaped? Is a cell’s primary job sensing or communicating? Why building Netflix for the mantis shrimp is impossible with present tech (they have 12 color receptors - humans have basic RGB). A brilliant book on a very sparse field.

[Stephen Ahlgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. Authors do a wonderful job of communicating complex ideas clearly without dumbing it down. So much fascinating material in here that it has changed the way I see the world. Even for an early release, I have practically no notes. Only thing I could say is that the balance between technical material and its relation to the authors' lives was maybe a little inconsistent?

Truly an excellent book.

[Jolene Leong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly the best written popular science book on proteins, perhaps on biology entirely (but I’m biased as I myself am a protein scientist). Absolutely marvellous and the range of techniques introduced is quite impressive. Everything is explained immaculately, structured beautifully, with homages to scientists who have shaped the field, people in the authors’ lives who’ve shaped them, as well as stories of unsung heroes. This is truly a love letter to proteins and the scientific method. I’m sad that I do not see this wonderful book in bookstores, and ordered this online, but boy am I glad I came across it in a comment from a random instagram post from a science communicator.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illuminating.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot. I don't understand how biology works seems so crazy.