Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Lights In
19 March 2013

Lights In

Cells might be tiny, but the advent of nanotechnology is making them ever more accessible to science. Researchers have designed a minute light-emitting device, or nanobeam, which can be inserted into live cells, rather like a radiotransmitter implanted under an animal’s skin. This human cell has been pierced by the nanobeam on the left; the grid-like structure outside the cell is the handle to which the probe is attached. The beam can also be fully injected inside a cell, which then continues to grow and divide as normal, with one daughter cell inheriting the nanobeam at each division. By following the light it emits, scientists can track the cell’s movements and identify its descendants. The beam can also be modified to detect the presence of specific molecules. With a host of potential applications, this technology is opening up a whole new world of cellular exploration.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

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.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.