Clear Division

Cutting edge techniques often reveal biology to look as monstrous as it does beautiful. Who would have thought cells from a pig’s kidney could look a bit like a sea monster? This cell is being ripped in two during mitosis, in a similar way to cells in every human embryo, and many cancers, too. A new technique called Point Accumulation for Imaging of Nanoscale Topography (PAINT) bombards the cells repeatedly with colourful molecules, too fast to see by eye but easily captured by a sensitive microscope. The molecules 'stick' to specific features – like the spiky outer and inner cell membranes (green and orange respectively), protecting the DNA (white) as it’s shared between two daughter cells. Detailed 3D images can be spun around looking for details that older techniques might have missed – the membranes can even be 'burnt away' virtually and the cell jumped into to get a closer look.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Wesley Legant and colleagues
• Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
• Image copyright held by Nature Publishing Group
• Published in Nature Methods, March 2016