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

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Individual islets reconstructed into the 3D pancreas using a novel imaging approach

14 November 2021

Picking Blocks

The problem with peering inside human tissues is not one of looking, but of seeing. Scientists often light up cells in a dish with fluorescent proteins, or make genetically-modified tissues glow in other organisms. But when dealing with whole human organs, options are limited – antibodies designed to highlight particular cells can only penetrate so far, meaning thicker tissues are left in the dark. Here scientists find a solution by cutting a human pancreas into chunks. First, they imbed the organ into jelly then slice it into precise pieces thin enough for antibodies to penetrate. Imaging each block using 3D light-sheet microscopy, they reassemble the whole organ virtually. Here an antibody highlights islets of Langerhans (red), insulin-producing cells in this pancreas from a human donor with type 2 diabetes. Researchers hope the techniques can be easily adapted to other organs, shedding light on our vital anatomy.

Today is World Diabetes Day

Written by John Ankers

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.