Developed to intrigue and inform, the BBC’s Explainer series aims to encourage documentary audiences to further explore topics through additional information on their website.

When asked to craft a short film about DNA, the approach we took wasn’t just to look into a scientific past and future, but we needed to find a strong graphic style to communicate the beauty and intricacy of DNA.

Three minutes is a short time to explore a subject where most doctorates only scratch the surface, so writer Andrew S. Walsh teamed up with molecular biologist Dr Matthew Adams to distil the script down to the most fundamental elements required to understand not only DNA’s form and function but its impact on science.

The result is an elegant, informative and playful illustration of the most fundamental elements required to understand not only DNA’s form and function but how our understanding of these discoveries has affected the wider world.