ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2009) — A team of researchers led by University of California, Riverside (UCR) Professor of Chemical Engineering Wilfred Chen has constructed for the first time a synthetic cellulosome in yeast, which is much more ethanol-tolerant than the bacteria in which these structures are normally found. Read More
X Sunney Wei and others at Harvard University recently demonstrated a new technique for stimulated emission microscopy that allows high resolution imaging of generally non-fluorescent chromophores (such as drugs). This imaging technique relies on pumped laser sources and new techniques for obtaining the fluorescent emission streams. Use of this sort of microscopy could lead to vast increases in resolution of non-fluorescent particles and assist in determining modes of research for pharmaceuticals.
The BioImage for this week comes to us from GPMatthews’ personal website. The site contains a large collection of fascinating images and articles, particularly on the pages that contain images of diatoms. These unicellular organisms are like biology’s snowflakes and often offer some of the most interesting and complex patterns that can be visualized under a microscope. This image was taken using dark field microscopy techniques and depicts an Actinoptychus diatom. Amazing.
BioImage of the Week is a weekly feature of the biological community’s most impressive imaging examples. Examples are taken from all fields of biological imaging including, but not limited to, confocal microscopy, epifluorescence, atomic force microscopy, phase and differential interference contrast microscopy, and others.
This video, part of a PBS production titled DNA: The Secret of Life, depicts the process of transcription and translation, or in other terms, making mRNA from DNA and proteins from mRNA. The video shows the biologically correct molecules, which sets it apart from most other videos depicting the same process and gives it a greater sense of realism. Take a look!
The image above is featured from Cornell University’s Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center. It is a gorgeous image of a bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells taken with laser scanning confocal microscopy techniques. The cell is stained with a three dye system showing:
This gorgeous image illustrates the high resolution that confocal microscopy can achieve, particularly when transmissive (white light) channels are not included.
BioImage of the Week is a weekly feature of the biological community’s most impressive imaging examples. Examples are taken from all fields of biological imaging including, but not limited to, confocal microscopy, epifluorescence, atomic force microscopy, phase and differential interference contrast microscopy, and others.
A recent publication in Nature has suggested that rather than being only 30% efficient, neurons, the workhorse cells of our brains, may be acting at up to 70-80% efficiency. This has heavy implications, considering that neurons consume approximately 20% of our body’s consumed energy. The question must now be asked: what exactly are those little thinkers doing with all that fuel?
What better way to celebrate your love of biology than to wear it proudly for everyone to see? Here is a collection of 36 beautiful, clever, and hilarious biology-themed t-shirts. The rest of the shirts after the break.
A study recently published in Nature suggests that whole genome duplications may have posed an evolutionary advantage in our ancient ancestors. This is a surprising discovery considering the rarity of contemporary whole genome duplications being preserved. These findings may provide insight into new “tactics” organisms use during the course of evolution.
A new study out of Harvard Medical suggests that cancer cells have an intrinsic ability to mechanistically move through channels such as blood vessels as they make their way through the body and leave tumors. The study, published in Integrative Biology, uses a variety of microchannels and chemicals to treat the cells to a different environments. In almost all environments, the cells presented very fast motility along the channel.
Read the original publication in Integrative Biology (featured on the cover)
Visualize the Unbelievably Small Scale of the Cell (and other Biological Structures)
Single cells are small. Really, REALLY small. When you read that a suspended cell is approximately 10-15 microns in diameter it all seems fine and well; you’ll write it down or take note of it, then move along. However, if you stop to think about how small 10-15 microns is, it begins to baffle your mind. I’ve tried so many times to try and picture just how small micron-scale items are that I have a hard time believing anyone can truly imagine a cellular scale.
Fortunately, the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah has developed a web visualization tool that provides a sliding scale to illustrate the spectrum of sizes from 12 point font all the way down to a single carbon atom. Along the way you’ll run into skin cells, tRNAs, even an amoeba.
Intrigued? Visit the Cell Size and Scale tool now.