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Prison Cells
28 November 2012

Prison Cells

These cells are trapped – stuck inside tiny square ‘rooms’ each 100,000 times smaller than a prison cell. In order to escape, they’re going to need some help from the outside. Each cell (with its membrane highlighted in green and nucleus in turquoise) has been injected with different amounts of magnetic nanoparticles: tiny pieces of metal highlighted in blue. At the flick of a switch, the particles tug the imprisoned cells towards magnets on the outside. The cell in the top right, which received the strongest magnetic shove, has developed filopodia – spiky ‘legs’ which show the cell is about to slither for freedom. Tiny man-made tools may soon be used to guide the movement of cells in our bodies, too. A helpful nudge in the right direction might one day lead stem cells into place in a damaged organ or put the brakes on cancer cells, all by remote control.

Written by John Ankers

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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