Breathing Life into Science: How I Visualized Axolotl Limb Regeneration in 3D

When you think about character animation, an axolotl regrowing a limb might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But for me, it was the perfect challenge: combining scientific storytelling with the craft of detailed 3D animation.

This project was commissioned by the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna. The goal? To visualize how the axolotl—a remarkable creature known for its regenerative abilities—can completely regrow a lost leg.

The Goal: Make Science Visible and Understandable

To bring this microscopic miracle to life, I broke the sequence down into four main stages:

1. The limb disappears – done with subtle transparency and dissolves (no tools or cutting shown).

2. The wound heals – using layered shaders and displacement to show skin recovery.

3. The limb regrows – animated through progressive mesh deformation and rigging.

4. Inside the process – particles show cells migrating toward the wound to start regeneration.

To achieve this, I used:

• Cinema 4D for modeling, animation, rigging, and vertex maps

• Redshift for realistic subsurface scattering (SSS), skin shaders, and lighting

• Particles to represent migrating cells

• Boole objects to create a “look-inside” effect during regrowth

• Redshift Principled Hair for the axolotl’s iconic external gills

• Anatomically inspired modeling for the internal bone and tissue structure

The Process: Biology Meets 3D Animation

To bring this microscopic miracle to life, I broke the sequence down into four main stages:

1. The limb disappears – done with subtle transparency and dissolves (no tools or cutting shown).

2. The wound heals – using layered shaders and displacement to show skin recovery.

3. The limb regrows – animated through progressive mesh deformation and rigging.

4. Inside the process – particles show cells migrating toward the wound to start regeneration.

To achieve this, I used:

• Cinema 4D for modeling, animation, rigging, and vertex maps

• Redshift for realistic subsurface scattering (SSS), skin shaders, and lighting

• Particles to represent migrating cells

• Boole objects to create a “look-inside” effect during regrowth

• Redshift Principled Hair for the axolotl’s iconic external gills

• Anatomically inspired modeling for the internal bone and tissue structure

A Project That Regenerated More Than Just a Limb

This wasn’t just about technical skills—it was about empathy for the subject and respect for scientific detail.Rigging the limb to grow back naturally, studying real axolotl reference footage, and simulating the cell behavior taught me as much about biology as it did about animation.

Seeing this work shared in scientific circles and the media was a huge win—not just for me, but for science communication as a whole.

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