Beautiful Science

The cells of the human immune system track down potentially harmful bacteria or viruses by passing through or reaching deep inside tissues and organs to reach sites of infection. To assist their movement through tissue, these cells have structures called podosomes, often described as "cellular feet". This image shows a podosome-forming immune cell viewed under a super-resolution microscope. Podosomes are found underneath the cell surface and are seen here as dots within the circular cell boundary. Using a software to change the colours of the light emitted by the fluorescent molecules, Ms Nisha Rafiq, a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore, created the nine colour combinations that artistically show podosomes in the cell. The images were created as part of a study into how podosome formation is controlled by a protein known as Arf1.

The cells of the human immune system track down potentially harmful bacteria or viruses by passing through or reaching deep inside tissues and organs to reach sites of infection. To assist their movement through tissue, these cells have structures ca
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MECHANOBIOLOGY INSTITUTE, SINGAPORE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 07, 2017, with the headline Beautiful Science. Subscribe