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Seen Two Ways

Connecting gene activity & precise location of protein function by Deterministic Barcoding in Tissue sequencing (DBiTplus)

02 February 2025

Seen Two Ways

Genes and proteins are two sides of the same coin. Genes are sections of DNA that contain the instructions for producing proteins, which themselves play countless fundamental roles in the body – including regulating DNA expression. Researchers have techniques to measure gene expression or protein levels within cells and tissues, but a new approach marries the two to show a more rounded picture of a single specimen, such as the mouse embryo pictured. Clusters of gene expression patterns (top left) can be compared with the location and amounts of proteins (bottom, with colours indicating different proteins). Connecting gene activity and the precise location of protein function provides a level of insight that could answer important questions about health and disease, such as why some regions of tumours express genes differently, how protein imbalances in the brain are linked to neurodegenerative disorders, or how immune cells interact with tissues during inflammation.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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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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