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Articles on Cell biology

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This image of actin filaments in a cell was taken using a type of superresolution microscopy. Xiaowei Zhuang, HHMI, Harvard University, and Nature Publishing Group/NIH via Flickr

Zooming across time and space simultaneously with superresolution to understand how cells divide

Superresolution microscopy allowed researchers to view cells at the molecular level. Improvements on the technique can help study the building blocks of complex cell processes over time.
Cell cultures are often grown in petri dishes. Wladimir Bulgar/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Lab-grown meat techniques aren’t new – cell cultures are common tools in science, but bringing them up to scale to meet society’s demand for meat will require further development

Cell cultures are common tools in biology and drug development. Bringing them up to scale to meet the meat needs of societies will require further development.
Cells move their genetic material from one place to another in the form of RNA. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

How does RNA know where to go in the city of the cell? Using cellular ZIP codes and postal carrier routes

Making sure RNA molecules are in the right place at the right time in a cell is critical to development and normal function. Researchers are figuring out exactly how they get to where they need to go.
Illustration of an autophagosome (light blue double-membrane to the right) engulfing cellular material. David S. Goodsell and Daniel Klionsky/RCSB PDB-101

Cells routinely self-cannibalize to take out their trash, aiding in survival and disease prevention

Cells degrade and recycle damaged parts of themselves through a process called autophagy. When this “self-devouring” goes awry, it may promote cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
This image shows pancreatic cancer cells (blue) growing, encased within membranes (red). Min Yu/Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC via NIH/Flickr

Triggering cancer cells to become normal cells – how stem cell therapies can provide new ways to stop tumors from spreading or growing back

Many tumors have cancer stem cells that help them grow and evade treatments. Differentiation therapy forces these cells to mature, stopping growth with less toxicity than traditional treatments.
Preclinical research — the kind that takes place before testing on humans — often guides decisions about which potential treatments should continue to clinical trials. But attempts to replicate 50 studies found the odds of getting the same results were only about 50-50. (Pexels/Artem Podrez)

Major study shows the need to improve how scientists approach early-stage cancer research

Preclinical studies are an important part of biomedical research, often guiding future trials in humans. Failure to replicate research results suggests a need to increase the quality of studies.
Meat of the future might be quite different from meat of the past. Stanley Kubrick, photographer, LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ6-2352.

So far cultured meat has been burgers – the next big challenge is animal-free steaks

It’s relatively easy to grow a bunch of animal cells to turn into a burger. But to grow a steak made of cultured meat is a trickier task. Bioengineers must create organized, three-dimensional tissues.
Sun exposure that doesn’t result in burning may still damage the skin cells. Rain/Flickr

Sun damage and cancer: how UV radiation affects our skin

Around 30 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma every day and more than 1,200 die from the disease each year. While small amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation are required for the production of vitamin…
Powerhouse and secret communicator. arwing3

Plant powerhouses are more than just energy producers

For more than a billion years, plants have had an internal dialogue, and we are just beginning to learn the words. The unusual dialogue occurs between two compartments within plant cells – the nucleus…

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