Since Robert Hooke first find the cell in1665 , scientist have been peering through microscope in an effort to learn more about these basic units of life . In the 350 years since , technical progress have allowed us to look nigher at how cells go , but not everything we know comes from first - hired hand observation . Some cell activity — like the hundreds of tiny bubble surfacing on a cell at any establish time — motion too tight for the human middle to register , even when looking through the solid microscope . The detail of this molecular - tier action mechanism have been deduce .
But now scientists have found a novel way to capture cell life in unprecedented detail , as they present last week in a series ofphotographs publish in the journalSciencethat reveal the privileged working of electric cell never before seen by the human eye . The breakthrough was made potential by a proficiency address structured illumination microscopy , or SIM , which is used in filmmaking .
Two years ago , Harvard electric cell biologistThomas Kirchhausenattended a lecture byEricBetzigof the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’s Janelia Research Campus on the consumption of SIM to study cells . Betzig ’s previous work include developing a proficiency of high - resolution microscopy that apply fluorescent molecules to highlight part of the cell . ( He shared the 2014 Nobel Prize inchemistryfor this piece of work . )
The job with this method acting is that it expose the cells to illuminate that ’s more intense than what they ’re equipped to handle , which stop up harming and sometimes even vaporizing them . But SIM is gentler , charm images of resilient jail cell much faster while using less easy .
Kirchhausen thought it might be possible to employ SIM at the molecular floor to capture cell body process . He and Betzig subsequently collaborated with researchers in China and the U.S. , and the answer was this set of groundbreaking images . Check out an example in the video below , which use Battle of Magenta and greenish flourescent molecules to highlight the proteins actin ( Battle of Magenta ) and myosin ( green ) working together to make the internet of filament necessary to electric cell move .
[ h / t : MIT Technology Review ]
