CU Up Close Image Competition

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The CU Up Close Image Competition celebrates the art in science within the world of microscopy. While it is easy to be focused on the rigor of creating robust imaging data, it is also important to take a moment to appreciate the elegance of what we can now observe and capture. This competition demonstrates our advanced imaging capabilities while appreciating the imaging artist that resides in all of us.

The ALMC is happy to announce that submissions are now open for the 2025 competition. Submit your entry by October 10, 2025!

Submit an Image Rules and Tips

You can also submit your images:

  • In person to Joe Dragavon
  • At the acquisition computer (folder on desktop)

Important

Please note: By submitting an image (either online or in person), you agree that the images may be used by the University of Colorado, Boulder, the BioFrontiers Institute, and the BioFrontiers Advanced Light Microscopy Core for advertising, promotional, and fundraising purposes. Usage will be appropriately accredited.

Winning Images:

2024

Andrew Lombardi (Hoeffer lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells found in our brain, supporting many essential functions, from roles in neuroprotection to memory. Here, we see the distribution of astrocytes (white), microglia (immune cells that protect the brain, red) and their nuclei (blue). Research has shown that diseased brains have a different architecture compared to healthy brains, and this may contribute to diminished function.
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Andrew Lombardi (Hoeffer lab)…

Logan Barrios, Jenna Stanislaw, Luis Paez Beltran, Carolina Valderrama Hincapie (IQ Biology PhD Program) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Organoids are mini lab grown 3D tissues that mimic organs in the body and facilitate studies ranging from developmental processes to drug discovery. A benchmark of good quality organoids is the development of specialized cell types. Here we see an intestinal organoid which has developed crypt cells (shown in red), which are responsible for continually renewing the lining of the intestine. Nuclei of all cells are shown in blue and green. (Special thanks to Dr. Kaustav Bera, Anseth lab, for providing the sample.)
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Logan Barrios, Jenna Stanisla…

Bruce E. Kirkpatrick (Anseth lab) - Nikon CRESTV2 Spinning Disk Confocal. The intricate designs of the natural world often inspire investigators when engineering systems with novel properties. This image shows the natural glow of the vasculature of the rhizome, the horizontal plant stem that grows underground and stores nutrients for plant survival and reproduction. Systems like this have led to the development of lightweight, robust materials that can deliver nutrients while removing waste.
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Bruce E. Kirkpatrick (Anseth …

Kaustav Bera (Anseth lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. Traditionally, cancer drugs were only tested on tumor cells in isolation without considering effects on surrounding normal cells. We are now developing controlled systems with multiple cell types to better identify life-saving treatments. Here, you can see spheres of tumor-derived cells (pink with cell nuclei in white) surrounded by normal cells (green), allowing us to study tumors in an environment more relevant to our own bodies.
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Kaustav Bera (Anseth lab) - N…

Evolene Premillieu (Advanced Light Microscopy Core) - Nikon Widefield. We can use the world around us to help motivate the next generation of scientists. Under appropriate lighting, many living things will glow and appear rather out of this world. Here, the naturally occurring colors of a crocus flower can be seen, and we used samples such as these to motivate the students of the Longmont (CO) High School SMART program to pursue careers in science.
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Evolene Premillieu (Advanced …

Mauricio Alvarez, Emma Worden-Sapper, Daniel Perez (Sawyer lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. The flu has been around for thousands of years, causing multiple pandemics that have resulted in millions of illnesses and deaths. Understanding how the virus can enter our cells, reproduce, and cause further infection is critical to developing novel therapeutics. Here, we infected cells (violet) with Influenza A virus, with the virus RNA genome visible in blue and white.
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Mauricio Alvarez, Emma Worden…

Sven Arnar Saemundsson (Cha lab and Goodwin lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. The lack of oxygen (“hypoxia”) within tumors can have disastrous consequences. Tumor hypoxia promotes malignant behavior of cancer cells, including proliferation and migration, and it enhances resistance to treatments such as immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Here we are investigating how the distribution of different cell types (blue and red) impacts the levels of hypoxia (green) found within this tumor-mimicking model.
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Sven Arnar Saemundsson (Cha l…

Laurel Stefani and Yashveer Soni (Bryant lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. Under certain conditions, stem cells can be directed to become any tissue found within our bodies. We are developing novel biology-mimicking materials to guide the growth and differentiation of stem cells into specific tissues. Here, we see the interwoven structure of a 3D-printed biomimetic structure with interlocking components.
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Laurel Stefani and Yashveer S…

Justin Hein and Jackson Kominsky (Cech lab and Ramsey lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Varroa destructor mites are the most detrimental parasite to honey bees. However, studying these mites is extremely challenging due to their solid, shell-like exoskeleton. We are developing methods to improve their optical properties so we can study internal mite features. This image shows the natural fluorescence of two mites: the mite on the left is unmanipulated while the mite on the right was bleached in hydrogen peroxide.
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Justin Hein and Jackson Komin…

Manuela Garay-Sarmiento and Chima Maduka (Burdick lab) - Evident VS-200 Slide Scanner. Heart attacks restrict cardiac blood supply, which kill parts of the heart due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. Survivors have widespread cardiac scarring (“fibrosis”), which impairs heart function and often causes heart failure. Overcoming the effects of fibrosis is a key target for new heart attack treatments. Here, we show a horizontal slice of a rat heart (pink) after a heart attack, with fibrosis in blue and a drug-delivering biomaterial in green.
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Manuela Garay-Sarmiento and C…

Monica L. Ohnsorg (Anseth lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. Osteocytes make up 90% of all the cells in our bones. Like the neurons in our brains, these cells can form integrated networks to communicate with each other, even through hard, calcified bone. This capability is a key component of bone health. Here, you can observe the osteocytes as they developed this network in 3D, with the reds closer to the viewer than the blues.
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Monica L. Ohnsorg (Anseth lab…

Hannah Weppner (Hind lab) - Nikon A1R-HD25. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are transient connections between cells that allow for the exchange of organelles (cellular compartments, such as mitochondria) and RNA. In cancer cells, they contribute to tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Here, human cancer cells (green envelope) form TNTs with each other in the presence of immune cells (red envelope). Nuclei of individual cells are shown in blue. Understanding the mechanism behind TNT formation and what substances are transferred may lead to new cancer therapies.
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Hannah Weppner (Hind lab) - N…

2023

Sam Holtzen (Palmer lab) - PerkinElmer Opera Phenix. Cell division is a complicated but essential process for life involving the correct transfer of DNA from the mother cell to the daughter cells. Understanding this process gives critical insight into fetal development, cancer, and inherited diseases. Here, investigators monitored the phases of cell division (blue) while tracking modified DNA (green).
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Sam Holtzen (Palmer lab) - Pe…

Bruce Kirkpatrick, Meagan Arguien (Anseth and Bowman labs) - Zeiss LSM 710. Synthetic elastic materials that mimic human tissue allow investigators to develop more accurate laboratory models of development and disease. However, these materials sometimes fail during production. Visualizing the structural irregularities, such as the differences observed here from the top to the bottom of the image, can help us understand these faults and inform better material design.
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Bruce Kirkpatrick, Meagan Arg…

Matthew Kwan (Shields lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Macrophages are innate immune cells with phagocytic (cell-eating) capabilities that protect our bodies from foreign microbes. Investigators are also exploiting these cells for targeted, nanoparticle-based drug delivery. Here, bone marrow-derived macrophages are ingesting spherical nanoparticles (red), with actin protein filaments (green) and DNA (blue) stained to provide spatial context.
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Matthew Kwan (Shields lab) - …

Mark W Young, Colter E. Oroke (Anseth lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Acquiring human tissue for study is inherently challenging, so investigators are developing lab-grown models as a surrogate. Here, researchers grew a layer of cells that simulate our intestines with the cell nuclei (gray) and membranes (red) shown. As validation of this model, some of these cells display fetal-like stem cell characteristics (yellow), just as in own intestines.
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Mark W Young, Colter E. Oroke…

Srishti Kashyap, Sabrina Kainz, Tristan Caro, Alexis Templeton (Templeton lab) - Nikon Widefield. Life can exist deep below the Earth’s surface within rock fractures, providing insight into the range of conditions that can support life on Earth and elsewhere in the universe. Here, the researchers investigated rocks harvested from 160 feet below ground and found microbes (blue specks) associated with key minerals (gray).
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Srishti Kashyap, Sabrina Kain…

Sarah Lehman (Edgewise Therapeutics) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. This is a 3D cross-section of a rabbit skeletal muscle fiber, where the color gradient represents depth within the muscle fiber. Investigating muscle at this level of detail provides an understanding of how diseases such as muscular dystrophy can impact muscle structure and function.
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Sarah Lehman (Edgewise Therap…

Jack W. Layer and Tripp M. Layer (Lafeyette Elementary) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. The microscopic world is an exciting and dynamic place that can be used to motivate the next generation of scientists. Jack (7) and Tripp (9) became curious about microscopy just in time for the Miller Moth migration, and their surprise discovery of a glowing eye allowed them to appreciate the adventurous side of science.
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Jack W. Layer and Tripp M. La…

Myriam Moreno Garcia (Alex Whiteley lab) - Nikon Widefield. The brain is one of the most fascinating, yet least understood, organs in our bodies. However, direct functional observation is challenging due to the intricate network of cells, neurons, and other structures and its extreme density. Here, the researchers visualized the ubiquitous presence of a protein (white) throughout sequential mouse brain slices, with the natural glow also visible (green and blue).
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Myriam Moreno Garcia (Alex Wh…

Dylan Parker (Parker lab) - Nikon W1-SoRa. Biomolecular condensates are minute subcellular compartments consisting of proteins or DNA or RNA and are involved in many cellular processes. How these condensates self-organize remains an open question. In this image, investigators are studying how RNA can scaffold biomolecular condensates.
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Dylan Parker (Parker lab) - N…

Jessica Hanson (Alex Whiteley & Hoeffer lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. While the molecular pathways leading to the disease remain poorly understood, genetically modified mice are used to understand progressive motor deficits and molecular changes in neurons. This image captures neurons of the mouse cerebellum stained for a protein (purple) whose levels are elevated in ALS and for DNA (blue).
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Jessica Hanson (Alex Whiteley…

Gracie Sapp (Aydin lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. There are many steps involved in designing and executing a robust experiment, and investigators must methodically demonstrate and validate each before drawing conclusions. Here, researchers observed fluorescent membranes as a pilot experiment before progressing to the more complex challenge of simultaneously observing specific proteins within the membrane.
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Gracie Sapp (Aydin lab) - Nik…

Gabriel J. Rodriguez Rivera % Siddhart Sharma (Burdick lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. Organoids are excellent but challenging laboratory models that can simulate human organs. To improve them, researchers are engineering new synthetic materials with tunable physical properties such as elasticity, size, and shape. This image reveals how a developing organoid (magenta) is interacting with a custom supporting material (green).
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Gabriel J. Rodriguez Rivera %…

2022

Sam Holtzen, Maria Lo (Palmer lab) - Nikon Widefield. The element zinc is essential for proper cellular function. In people, zinc deficiency can lead to hair loss, eye problems, and increased infections. At the cellular level, reduced zinc levels may result in DNA damage. Here, zinc-deficient cells are observed over time to examine their motility. Each color is the path an individual cell took over 48 hours.
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Sam Holtzen, Maria Lo (Palmer…

Suzanna Fulgham, Jayson Ball (Watkins lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Myelin is an insulating layer of protein and fatty substances that wraps around neurons, promoting the rapid transmission of electrical pulses along nerve cells. After injury, the myelin (pale blue) that surrounds the nerve (red) can degrade, leading to chronic pain. The amount of degradation can be accurately represented using surface modeling techniques represented here.
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Suzanna Fulgham, Jayson Ball …

Matthew D. Davidson, Bradley Taha, Jason Burdick (Burdick Lab) - Nikon AXR Laser Scanning Confocal. Microgels are an important class of biomaterials used for promoting tissue regeneration. However, they often lack topographical cues to elicit an appropriate response from cells. Engineering the surface (white) of the microgels (purple) with varying characteristics can guide cell migration to enhance tissue repair.
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Matthew D. Davidson, Bradley …

Jessica Hanson, Keenan Kushner (Hoeffer and Huntsman lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. The human brain has approximately 86 billion neurons. In animal models, investigators can monitor the electrical pulses of individual neurons through a process called patch clamping. Introducing a fluorescent label allows investigators to compare the dynamic properties of the neurons with their intricate morphology in healthy versus diseased brains. This image shows two neurons from different hemispheres of a mouse brain experiencing schizophrenia.
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Jessica Hanson, Keenan Kushne…

Gabe Appleton (MCDB 4312 Undergraduate) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. The natural world is a beautiful and wondrous place, and the human body is no exception. Under the correct light, the various parts of our body glow to show details that are not observable to our eye. Here, the natural glow of an individual hair (blue tones) and the follicle (green-yellow tones) are seen.
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Gabe Appleton (MCDB 4312 Unde…

Huili Li, Joseph Dragavon (Niswander lab) - Bruker TruLive3D Light-sheet. In developing embryos, improper neural tube enclosure leads to birth defects such as spina bifida and the lack of a brain. Recent imaging advances now allow direct observation of enclosure, allowing for the study of healthy and sick embryos and thereby increasing our understanding of this process. Here, the enclosure seam is clearly visible in the image midline, with the relevant tissues (red) and subcellular components displayed (blue and green).
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Huili Li, Joseph Dragavon (Ni…

Bruce Kirkpatrick, Della Shin (Anseth lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Tissue geometry plays an important role in dictating where cancer cells are primed to become metastatic. In the laboratory setting, researchers can control where these growths occur. Here, melanoma microtissues are used to demonstrate in 3D how cells preferentially invade the surrounding matrix at geometric corners, with cell depth color coded (blue is closer to the observer than red).
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Bruce Kirkpatrick, Della Shin…

Massimo Buvoli, Chicca Buvoli (Leinwand lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Our muscles are composed of multiple elements, including filaments of myosin, actin and connective tissue. However, it is difficult and complex to study complete structures when researching muscle-affiliated diseases. Therefore, investigators have developed models that are cheaper and easier to handle and examine, such as these modified cells expressing myosin fibers.
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Massimo Buvoli, Chicca Buvoli…

Melanie Moser - Nikon Widefield. Under appropriate lighting, the natural world glows in a variety of colors. This image depicts autofluorescence of a single ray floret, part of an aster flower head collected from the St. Vrain glacial watershed (Colorado). The fertile glacial runoff found within these fields contains potent beginnings of life and nutrition and is indispensable to the future of our region’s health and prosperity.
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Melanie Moser - Nikon Widefie…

Ben Nelson, Bruce Kirkpatrick, Nat Skillin (Anseth Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Myoblasts, the cells that become muscle tissue, self-organize and fuse to form long contractile fibers. When cultured around a doughnut-shaped object, these cells reveal innate directionality and orient themselves in a counterclockwise manner. By false coloring these cells according to their spatial orientation, their physical alignment becomes readily evident.
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Ben Nelson, Bruce Kirkpatrick…

Rianne Dalhuisen (Shields lab) - Nikon Widefield. Pigs and humans have many anatomical similarities, including organs such as the skin. As a result, porcine tissues are often used as relevant models for biomedical applications, such as examining the penetration of drugs through the skin. This image is a pig hair follicle surrounded by the fibrous components of the skin. The colors represent the natural glow of these tissues under illumination.
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Rianne Dalhuisen (Shields lab…

Sarah Schoonrad (Bryant lab) - Nikon Widefield. Studying images of damaged tissues provides important information for developing new regenerative approaches. This is a section of pig cartilage that was stained with the dye Masson’s Trichrome, distinguishing cells (dark red) from structurally different collagens (varying shades of blue). Though this method was developed one hundred years ago, variations of it are still widely used today.
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Sarah Schoonrad (Bryant lab) …

2021

Andrew Lombardi/Jessica Hanson (Hoeffer Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells found in our brain, supporting many essential functions to help maintain its appropriate operation. Here, the astrocytes (white) and their nuclei (red) are being observed to determine their response to nicotine, with nuclei of neighboring cells (blue) and microglia (green) also shown. This research will enable the discovery of drug targets to assist those battling nicotine addiction.
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Andrew Lombardi/Jessica Hanso…

Lindsey Joe Broadwell (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Stem cells are versatile and essential tools for today’s investigators as they can be differentiated into many different cell types. Furthermore, growing these cells in 3D environments in large part emulates what is found within our bodies. Here, the nuclei of cardiac muscle cells that have been differentiated from stem cells (in orange) are observed, showing their location within a 3D matrix (in purple). These capabilities are important for simulating the development of our hearts and have had profound implications for studying and treating heart disease.
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Lindsey Joe Broadwell (Leinwa…

Anthony Khong (Parker Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. How cells adapt to stress remains a major outstanding question in biology. One way in which cells respond is by assembling stress granules. Stress granules can accumulate certain mRNAs, a key biomolecule that underlie gene expression, but how specific mRNAs accumulate in stress granules is unclear. Unfolding this mystery could lead to numerous therapeutic treatments for granule-related diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this image, stressed mouse embryonic stem cells were stained with a nucleus marker (blue), a stress granule marker (yellow), and a specific mRNA molecule (red).
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Anthony Khong (Parker Lab) - …

Lotte Watts/Tim Hoffman (Spencer Lab) - PerkinElmer Opera Phenix. It is becoming increasingly important to observe numerous cells in order to achieve appropriate statistical power. Here, hundreds of mammary epithelial cells were imaged after weeks of continuous treatment with a promising new drug that prevents tumor growth. By observing specific proteins (blue-green) in the nucleus, researchers can track the progression of cells over time. Experiments like this can inform investigators whether cells remain sensitive to the drug or whether they become resistant over time, a key metric in delivering successful therapies in the clinic.
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Lotte Watts/Tim Hoffman (Spen…

Lyanna Kessler (Lowry Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Nature is beautiful. However, under the right light, it looks completely different with astonishing details invisible to our naked eye. Here, the cross-section of a basswood stem is shown while being illuminated under ultraviolet light. Different parts of the stem, such as lignin and chlorophyll, autofluoresce different colors. Incorporating fluorescent dyes such as safranin-O for cell walls and methyl green for DNA further expands the rainbow of colors observed in natural tissues. This picture represents a composite of multiple images to show the full range of fluorescent colors this specimen produces.
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Lyanna Kessler (Lowry Lab) - …

arah A. Schoonraad/Kevin Eckstein (Bryant Lab) - Nikon Widefield. The growth plate is an intriguing and essential cartilaginous tissue found towards the end of long bones in children. If this tissue is damaged it can inhibit or alter normal continued growth, negatively impacting the quality of life for the individual. Developing treatments that would regenerate this region and restore normal bone lengthening would have profound positive effects. Here, this image highlights what an intact, healthy growth plate looks like (red) and provides insight into its integration with the surrounding bone tissue (blue/green).
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arah A. Schoonraad/Kevin Ecks…

Michael Blatchley (Anseth Lab) - Zeiss LSM710 Laser Scanning Confocal. Lab-grown mini-organs, termed organoids, look and function like their native tissue counterparts. These organoids hold great promise as platforms for drug testing and as building blocks for transplantable tissues. However, organoids grow in an unpredictable manner that limits their translational potential. One way to control how organoids grow is to control the environment that surrounds them. In this image, researchers are investigating how the proteins (red) produced by the cells within the organoid (teal) can control organoid growth.
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Michael Blatchley (Anseth Lab…

Nabila Tanjeem (Hayward Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Self-assembly is a nature-inspired bottom-up method of fabricating materials, allowing for careful design of small building-block microparticles and their assembly into large, complex structures. The hydrogel particles shown in this image are deformable and change their curvature in response to pH and temperature, with colors representing the depth of the object. Investigators are trying to design a tunable material assembled from these particles that will change its structure and organization as the curvature of the particles is dynamically tuned using external stimuli.
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Nabila Tanjeem (Hayward Lab) …

Chicca Buvoli/Massimo Buvoli (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. A tight network of sarcomeres, the contractile units of muscle, exists in the vast majority of heart cells. The major player of this contractile machinery is the myosin motor (in green). It is important that the correct interaction between myosin and other proteins occurs, allowing for efficient contraction and proper cardiac function. Here, a mutated molecule (in red) that does not form the correct complex with myosin is shown. This finding will allow investigators to better understand the pathological effect of this and similar mutations that cause heart disease.
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Chicca Buvoli/Massimo Buvoli …

Nina Ripin (Parker Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Nuclei are the epicenter of our cells, containing our DNA and enabling proper cellular function. Although nuclei are heavily studied, researchers continue to make new discoveries about their contents and structure. Here, the outer membrane (in pink) of the nucleus has been stained and an extensive network of channels spanning through the cell nuclei can be observed. Such channels are more pronounced in cancer cell lines and other pathologies, and their function is not fully understood.
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Nina Ripin (Parker Lab) - Nik…

Alexandra Borelli/Mark Young (Anseth Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cell that can differentiate into a variety of cell types. Further, MSCs are able to influence almost all the components of the immune system and may play a role in both tumor growth and suppression. Investigating their abilities and function may help reveal new targets for cancer therapy. Here, a cluster of MSCs derived from bone-marrow are shown in white.
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Alexandra Borelli/Mark Young …

Nathaniel Skillin (Anseth and White Labs) - Nikon Eclipse Ti2 Crest X-light. The interactions between cardiac muscle cells and the stiffness of the supporting matrix can drive the formation of unwanted stress fibers as the cell spreads. The alignment of these fibers can appear even more pronounced when the fibers are false-colored according to their directional orientation. Understanding these cell-matrix interactions is crucial when developing new synthetic polymers for biomedical applications.
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Nathaniel Skillin (Anseth and…

2020

Brian Aguado (Anseth Lab) - PerkinElmer Operetta. Cardiac fibrosis refers to the stiffening of the muscles that make up the human heart and it can lead to cardiac arrest. Researchers have developed laboratory models whereby they can distinguish healthy cells (shown in yellow) from diseased cells (shown in green). The development of such models helps researchers understand and treat cardiac fibrosis.
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Brian Aguado (Anseth Lab) - P…

Varsha Rao (Anseth Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. To help mimic conditions found within the body, scientists often grow their cells in 3D environments called hydrogels. Here, the hydrogels were formed into small spheres to promote intercellular interactions more consistent with the native tissue compared to growing them in a flat dish. The cells in this image have wrapped themselves around a single microgel (the nuclei are in blue, and the cytoplasm is in red).
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Varsha Rao (Anseth Lab) - Nik…

Megan E. Schroeder (Anseth Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Over time, heart valves may develop unwanted nodules of calcium that can lead to the stiffening of our heart valves. Researchers have developed laboratory models to study the formation of such nodules. Here, cells from a male heart valve are shown forming a calcified nodule (in red), much like what happens in the heart when the soft tissue calcifies with disease. Understanding how these cells from the heart form bone-like nodules allows researchers to begin to understand sex differences in heart valve disease.
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Megan E. Schroeder (Anseth La…

imberly Childress (Stansbury and Bowman Labs) - Nikon Widefield. Numerous insights can be made through the direct observation of a given phenomenon. Here, researchers were able to directly observe the formation of a light-induced polymer under polarized light. The investigators found that these polymers contained multiple crystalline forms which resulted in enhanced mechanical properties and improved overall material performance. The use of the polarized light resulted in the various regions of the polymer appearing in different colors as shown.
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imberly Childress (Stansbury …

Brittany J. Thompson (Bryant Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Significant effort is being put into the development of materials that can be implanted in our bodies to support or replace damaged tissues such as the cartilage in our knees or shoulders. Researchers use laboratory models to examine how our own tissue responds to the presence of the foreign materials. Here, a cross-section of tissue that was next to an implant has been stained and imaged, and the structural quality explored to evaluate tissue-implant compatibility. The dark purple layer in the lower left shows excess inflammation, which developed next to an implant.
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Brittany J. Thompson (Bryant …

Scientists and Engineers at DoubleHelix Optics, LLC - Nikon N-STORM with Double Helix Optics SPINDLE®. The protein actin organizes into filaments that are essential for maintaining the shape of cells. Actin filaments also play a crucial role in cancer progression. Here, the actin structure in breast cancer cells is observed using Double Helix 3D imaging, with the color corresponding to different heights in the cell (purple is closest to the observer, and red is furthest). Understanding actin structure and organization helps provide researchers with insights towards discovering viable anti-cancer treatments.
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Scientists and Engineers at D…

Luke Link (Hoeffer Lab) - Nikon A1R Laser Scanning Confocal. The physical make-up of our brains changes as we are exposed to habit-forming drugs such as nicotine, but there exist many uncertainties at the cellular level. Glial cells surround and protect the neurons in our brain, and their role in brain physiology and addiction is of growing interest. Here, the hippocampus of a mouse brain is shown, with individual glial cells (white), cell nuclei (blue) and pre-neuronal cells (red) visible. Understanding the effects of nicotine at the individual cell level can provide avenues for the treatment of nicotine addiction.
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Luke Link (Hoeffer Lab) - Nik…

Sarah Lipp (Calve Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Our interconnected muscles and tendons work together to generate the forces necessary for our everyday movements. However, this network is prone to injury when we participate in strenuous activities. Understanding how this interface develops and functions can help researchers design better treatments for musculoskeletal injuries. This image displays the interface between tendon (green and red) and muscle (blue), providing insight to the intricate and complex nature of our soft tissues.
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Sarah Lipp (Calve Lab) - Niko…

Lyanna Kessler (IQBiology graduate student) - Nikon Widefield. The biological world is filled with many organisms, including plants, that are naturally fluorescent. As educators, we can use these examples to demonstrate and teach the fundamental principles of microscopy. The above image shows the natural multicolor fluorescence found within a cross section of a pumpkin stem which was acquired during a microscope training session involving one of BioFrontiers first year IQ Biology graduate students.
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Lyanna Kessler (IQBiology gra…

Suzannah Miller (Ahn Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that, if not caught early, can rapidly spread to other organs. Understanding the 3D structure of individual melanoma cells helps researchers to discover and evaluate potential therapeutic treatments and interventions. Here, an individual cell has been modified to make the cell membrane fluorescent. The color corresponds to different heights in the cell, with warm colors indicating the top and cool colors highlighting the bottom.
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Suzannah Miller (Ahn Lab) - N…

Doug Peters (Garcea Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. The development of a viable drug or vaccine is incredibly difficult and requires a thorough investigation of many tissues and organs to identify any adverse physiological effects. Many mammalian tissues are naturally fluorescent, providing a colorful backdrop to which negative impacts can be identified and observed. Here, researchers are looking at a section of a mouse spleen for signs of an immune response. The spleen’s natural fluorescence yields colors that combine to give the resulting image.
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Doug Peters (Garcea Lab) - Ni…

Stephen Upton (Sousa Lab) and Warren Colomb (DoubleHelix Optics) - Nikon N-STORM with Double Helix Optics SPINDLE®. Imaging the subcellular components of bacteria is incredibly challenging due to the physical limitations of light microscopy to clearly resolve extremely small objects. Recent advances in microscopy provide pathways to overcome these limitations, greatly increasing the level of detail that can be observed. Here, the outer membranes of three E. coli bacteria have been fluorescently labeled, with each dot representing the location of a single fluorescent molecule. Additionally, these bacteria were observed in 3D (warm tones are closer to the observer while cool tones are further).
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Stephen Upton (Sousa Lab) and…

2019

Alysa Philips (Root Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Our brains include a very large and complex network of neurons that are responsible for our thoughts, movements and emotions. To demonstrate the interconnectivity of all of the neurons within our brain, we have been able to genetically modify the neurons in this mouse brain so that those neurons that are in direct communication with the brain’s reward center (yellow) become visible (green) upon stimulation. The cell nuclei (blue) and the injection site (red) are also observed.
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Alysa Philips (Root Lab) - Ni…

Arda GĂĽnay (Anseth Lab) - Zeiss Laser Scanning Confocal. Conventional fluorescence microscopy suffers from a spatial limit where two objects that are less than a certain distance apart appear as one. Recently, investigators have discovered a novel method where cells can be embedded into a gel that can swell up to 5x of its original size. Upon swelling, the cells and all of their individual components expand, greatly increasing the distance between any two objects beyond the spatial limit of the microscope. As a result, a significant improvement in the image resolution is achieved. Here, we can see the expanded microtubule structure of muscle cells in 3D, with the height of the cells color coded (red is closest to the observer, while blue is farthest).
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Arda Günay (Anseth Lab) - Zei…

Kimberly Childress (Bowman Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Many polymer systems are comprised of a network of interwoven crystals. The nature of theses crystals can greatly affect the mechanical, optical and thermal properties of the polymers. By directly observing the real-time formation and interconnectivity of the crystals, we can discern how to consistently create the polymers with predictable properties to be used for biomedical and materials science applications. Here, we are using polarized light to enhance the fine details of the crystalline structure of a polymer that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
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Kimberly Childress (Bowman La…

Brandon Hayes (MacCurdy Lab) - Nikon Laser Scanning Confocal. Creating complex multidimensional fluidic channels using 3D printing is commonly fraught with difficulties due to how the solidifying material is deposited. Often, it is not possible to remove the dissolvable supporting material that is found within the microchannel, rendering the object useless. As 3D printing becomes an accepted and invaluable tool within our laboratories, we are exploring novel approaches to overcome its shortcomings. Here, we have developed a new way to deposit the solid material on top of a liquid support material that can be readily flushed away, resulting in useable, fine microfluidic channels (cross-sectional view, with blue to green indicating regions of low to high levels of fluorescence, respectively).
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Brandon Hayes (MacCurdy Lab) …

Tristan Caro, Adam Dziulko, and Sharon Wu (IQBiology graduate students) - Nikon Widefield. Microtubules are part of the 'cytoskeleton' which gives a cell its structure and shape. Like mini superhighways, microtubules enable the transport of products throughout the cell. Because microtubules are so essential, malfunctions in microtubules are suspected to be the root of various degenerative diseases. Understanding how microtubule assembly impacts cell function can help researchers pinpoint the causes of these diseases. Here, the complex networks of microtubules within an arterial cell are visible (orange to black), whereas the cell membrane can be seen in faint yellow.
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Tristan Caro, Adam Dziulko, a…

Megan E. Schroeder (Anseth Lab) - PerkinElmer Opera Phenix. In certain conditions, our healthy soft tissues can stiffen through calcification, a process normally reserved for our bones and teeth. This phenomenon can occur in the heart muscle and the heart valves that control blood flow. If left untreated, this stiffening can be fatal. We can direct the growth of heart valve muscle cells to produce similar stiffening events which we can see under the microscope. Using target-specific dyes, we can visualize structures inside cells such as the actin cytoskeleton (green), the cell membranes (yellow), bone-related proteins (red) and individual cell nuclei (blue). We are gaining insight into how we might reverse the stiffening process in unhealthy hearts and other soft tissues.
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Megan E. Schroeder (Anseth La…

Stephanie Moon (Parker Lab) - Delta Vision Widefield. Messenger RNA is used to convey genetic information from the DNA found in the nucleus of our cells (in white) to ribosomes outside the nucleus. Upon arrival, the mRNA is read to create the proteins that are necessary for our cells and bodies to properly function. However, the mRNA (pink-light blue) can occasionally coalesce into larger, unwanted macro structures dubbed stress granules (dark blue). The presence of stress granules can be observed in patients suffering from cancer as well as diseases that affect the brain and muscles. Here, we are able to quantify the number and the size of the stress granules, providing us insights into how they are formed and possible treatments that can be implemented.
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Stephanie Moon (Parker Lab) -…

Varsha Rao and Arda GĂĽnay (Anseth Lab) - Nikon Laser Scanning Confocal. Significant effort has been given towards overcoming the natural spatial limits of conventional microscopy. Most current approaches rely on dedicated, technologically-challenging imaging techniques, often requiring complex chemical baths. We have recently employed a new approach that relies upon the controllable swelling properties of hydrogels to physically enlarge a sample. Referred to as Expansion Microscopy, this technique utilizes standard hydrogels and common microscopes to achieve substantial improvements in spatial resolution. We have demonstrated this new modality here, showing a remarkable improvement in image quality where the fine structures of cell nuclei (gold) and microtubules (teal) of human-derived stem cells are clearly observed.
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Varsha Rao and Arda Günay (An…

Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Neurotransmitters are the essential chemicals and elements that enable proper neuron function and signaling within our brains. The use of chemical- or element-specific dyes allow us to observe the presence and dynamics of the neurotransmitters in real time, providing invaluable insight to the role and mechanisms of our neurons. Here, this bed of neurons has been stained with a zinc-specific dye to report zinc dynamics. Within this image, the white regions indicate greater amounts of the dye, while the red regions show lower amounts.
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Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - N…

Tova Ceccato (Anseth and Leinwand Labs) - PerkinElmer Operetta. The human heart is made up of multiple cell types, of which fibroblasts are the most numerous. Cardiac fibroblast cells play several roles including ensuring the proper functioning of our heart as well as helping in wound repair from heart attacks and hypertension. An important characteristic of cardiac fibroblasts is the presence of stress fibers. We can regulate the development of stress fibers by growing the cells on specific surfaces, allowing us a reliable platform by which to carry out our studies. Above, this process is demonstrated with the successful formation of numerous stress fibers (black lines) in multiple cardiac fibroblasts (grey).
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Tova Ceccato (Anseth and Lein…

Max Yavitt (Anseth Lab) - Nikon Laser Scanning Confocal. Organoids are self-assembled, stem cell-derived miniature organs grown in vitro. These 3D constructs more accurately simulate the architecture and complexity of tissues and organs and have proven useful in the investigation of organ-like platforms. Here, the nuclei of a spherical intestinal organoid are shown with color representing z-depth (blue is closer to the observer, and orange is further away). This image highlights the 3D architecture that is found in the intestines, allowing us to advance our studies from the individual cell level to the more biologically-relevant organ scale.
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Max Yavitt (Anseth Lab) - Nik…

Daniel Zarate, Samantha Bonelli, and Jingchun Li (Li Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. The southern giant clam, Tridacna derasa, is found in the tropical waters of Guam. In this species, the outermost layer of tissue, the mantle, is used to harbor tiny algae creating a symbiotic relationship between the two wherein the clam provides a safe environment for algae growth and, in return, the algae can act as a significant energy source for the clam. We are trying to unravel the mechanisms that help maintain this relationship in order to provide insights to other symbiotic systems such as corals. Observing the native autofluorescence of a cross-section of the clam’s mantle provides us structural insight to the tissue. In this image, different compartments of the mantle appear as different colors.
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Daniel Zarate, Samantha Bonel…

2018

Kelsie Anson (Palmer Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Researchers now understand that zinc and other metals play a vital role in proper cellular function. Genetically-encoded tools can be used to observe the connection between these metallic nutrients and changes in cell behavior. Here, these cells have been modified to show the presence of zinc (Yellow) and other traditional signaling molecules (Red), providing insight to their physiological relationship. The individual cell nuclei are shown (Teal).
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Kelsie Anson (Palmer Lab) - N…

Guy Hagen (Hagen Lab) - Custom Structured Illumination Microscope. Investigations often require our researchers to push the technological limits of our microscopes, and it is often necessary to develop custom-built systems and analytical tools. This 3D image of animal tissue was acquired using a custom-built microscope designed specifically to improve spatial resolution in all dimensions. The image is color-coded for depth.
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Guy Hagen (Hagen Lab) - Custo…

Yicheng Long (Cech Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Acquiring relevant human tissues to study human diseases is challenging, meaning researchers are often required to use non-ideal models. More recently, investigators have been able to utilize pluripotent stem cells in their disease studies. These cells can be induced to represent nearly any human cell type or tissue. Here, stem cells have been induced to form human cardiac myocytes. Muscle components are shown (Green). The individual cell nuclei are also shown (Blue).
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Yicheng Long (Cech Lab) - Nik…

Suzannah Miller (Ahn Lab) - Olympus Widefield. Actin, a common protein found in cells, often forms microfilaments within cells. These filaments play a major role in cellular function such as cell shape and migration, and they can be an indicator of overall cell health. Here, the actin filaments have been fluorescently labeled, with the resulting image false-colored using a heat map. Here, warmer colors reflect the presence of actin stress fibers, which is indicative of poor cellular health.
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Suzannah Miller (Ahn Lab) - O…

Bryan Murillo (Ahn Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Cell migration is a complex process that is not entirely understood and is very relevant to cancer. Investigators are now beginning to unravel this mechanism through the identification and observation of proteins specific to this process. Here, the researchers are investigating the involvement of microtubules (flexible polymers that promote cell shape, shown in Orange) to the aggregation of specific cell migration proteins (Green).
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Bryan Murillo (Ahn Lab) - Nik…

Lynn Stanford (Palmer Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. The central nervous system is extremely complex and involves many cell types that interact with each other. Glial cells have a major impact on proper neuronal function by secreting signaling molecules and recycling neurotransmitters, amongst others. This image was captured as part of an investigation of proper neuronal function and shows the presence of more fluorescent dye in the nucleus (Yellow) compared to rest of the cell (Green to Purple).
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Lynn Stanford (Palmer Lab) - …

Ali McCorkindale (BioFrontiers Institute) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) comes in multiple forms that can be generally divided into two sub categories: those that allow for protein formation and those that do not (dubbed non-coding). Recently, researchers have discovered that these non-coding RNAs play a vital role in cell fate decisions. The presence of non-coding RNA (Red), glial cells (Green), and cell nuclei (Blue) is observed in both young (left) and mature (right) fly embryos.
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Ali McCorkindale (BioFrontier…

Max Yavitt and Tobin Brown (Anseth Lab) - Zeiss Confocal Microscope. The organs that make up our bodies are comprised of a complex and intricate network of multiple cell types. Through a combination of matrix engineering and biological approaches, researchers can create organ-like models (termed organoids) to study the early stages of their formation. Here, the nuclei (Blue), actin (Green), and lysozymes (Red) of an intestinal organoid are shown.
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Max Yavitt and Tobin Brown (A…

Megan Schroeder and Andrea Gonzalez Rodriguez (Anseth Lab) - Nikon Spinning Disk Confocal. Fibroblasts are cells that produce the structural framework for the tissues found in our bodies. Observing how these cells respond to diseases helps researchers understand why fibrosis, for example, in heart disease, might occur. By combining fibroblasts with engineered growth matrices that mimic aspects of their native tissue, investigators gain insights into disease development. Individual cell nuclei (Blue) and cytoskeletal components (Green and Red) are shown.
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Megan Schroeder and Andrea Go…

Leila Saleh (Bryant Lab) - Zeiss Widefield. Researchers aim to develop new materials that provide greater medical benefit and functionality while being readily accepted by our immune systems. By observing the tissue that surrounds the engineered material, investigators can assess the biocompatibility of the material with our bodies. In the tissue section shown here, the connective tissue (Blue) and cell nuclei (dark red) can be seen.
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Leila Saleh (Bryant Lab) - Ze…

Scientists and Engineers at DoubleHelix Optics - Nikon N-STORM. Traditional microscopes often are unable to resolve the truly fine structures in our cells. This puts a limit onto what researchers can observe and the areas of study that can be pursued. Recently, advances in optical microscopy technologies have improved upon this visual limit by nearly ten-fold. Such progress is allowing investigators to achieve new insights into subcellular structure and function.
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Scientists and Engineers at D…

Anastasia Karabina (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon Widefield. Personalized medicine aims to deliver more precise and effective medications to combat a given disease. However, for this to be successfully achieved, the diseased cells must be characterized. Shown here is an example of actin propagation over time (time is color coded from Blue to Red), whereby the investigator can follow this crucial subcellular component of muscle cells and label it as healthy or diseased. If needed, the appropriate medication can then be selected and applied.
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Anastasia Karabina (Leinwand …

2017

Maureen Bjerke (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon A1R. Stem cells have the amazing capability of essentially becoming any other cell type depending on their growth conditions. Larger structures, such as muscle fibers and organs, can also be formed from large fields of stem cells. Here, a field of stem cells (blue) with several pre-muscle cells (red) are growing together to be used for the controlled study of skeletal muscle diseases.
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Maureen Bjerke (Leinwand Lab)…

Doug Chapnick (Liu Lab) - Nikon A1R. Researchers can effectively freeze living cells in their current position by the application of certain chemicals. This image here shows the continued movement of the cell membrane upon improper chemical treatment, highlighting the difficulty of preserving the cellular structure. The nuclei (in teal) remain structurally sound while the clarity of the membrane (violet to yellow) has been fully lost.
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Doug Chapnick (Liu Lab) - Nik…

Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon SDC. Myosin proteins are essential for muscle contraction. In non-muscle cells, these proteins form long filaments. In this environment, researchers can investigate the interaction of multiple proteins that are fluorescently labeled. Here, three proteins are investigated and independently labeled as blue, green, and red. The resulting yellow filaments suggest that the red and green proteins strongly interact, while the blue protein does not.
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Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Le…

Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon A1R. Muscle fibers consist of repeating units of proteins called sarcomeres which, in this image, appear as alternating colored (red and green) and dark bands. Here, neonatal rat heart valve muscle cells were genetically modified with both red and green fluorescent proteins. The use of multiple colors shows the preferential accumulation of the mutant proteins at the center of the sarcomere.
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Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Le…

Esther Choi (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon A1R. Specific disease-inducing mutations can be studied on the molecular and cellular level through a viral expression system. Here, the individual sarcomere bundles of cardiac muscle cells (myocytes) are shown in red. Myocytes expressing the disease-causing protein (shown in green) can be distinguished from those that have not been infected. The nuclei are stained in blue.
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Esther Choi (Leinwand Lab) - …

Joe Dragavon (ALMC) - Nikon SDC. It is often desirable to observe a very large object with microscopic resolution. In microscopy, this can be accomplished through the complex synchronization of automated stages, light sources, and cameras. Here, an entire mouse kidney cross-section was imaged using more than 2500 individual images. Individual components of the mouse kidney are shown in green and red, while the numerous nuclei are blue.
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Joe Dragavon (ALMC) - Nikon S…

Katie Heiser (DoubleHelix Optics) - Nikon N-STORM. This three-dimensional Double Helix super-resolution image shows the actin cytoskeleton of an individual African green monkey kidney cell. Here, the depth of the cell is color coded, with objects in purple at the bottom of the cell while those in red at the top. Thick actin stress fibers are visible along with a network of thin actin filaments. These fibers and filaments enable the cell to signal to other cells, adhere to surfaces, and divide.
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Katie Heiser (DoubleHelix Opt…

Evan Lester and Josh Wheeler (Parker Lab) - Nikon A1R. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is used within our cells to help create individual proteins that are needed for appropriate cellular function. Mislocalization of the mRNA can lead to the onset of various genetic diseases. Here, a muscle fiber (green) was isolated from the leg of a mouse and imaged to better understand the location of the mRNA (yellow and red) within the substructure of the muscle. The cell nuclei are shown in blue.
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Evan Lester and Josh Wheeler …

Doug Peters (Garcea Lab) - Nikon SDC. Mouse fibroblasts expressing a fluorescent protein were infected with mouse polyomavirus and imaged for several hours. Each frame of the resulting time-course was assigned a color, where “cooler” colors represent early frames and “warmer” colors represent later frames. This allows you to see how these living cells move as the time-course progresses and how the fluorescent protein re-organizes into punctate viral replication centers.
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Doug Peters (Garcea Lab) - Ni…

Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - Nikon SDC. Our brains are a complex interwoven network of neurons and other cell types that work together to transmit information through neurotransmitters such as glutamate and zinc. The network shown here has been labeled with a membrane-bound dye that allows us to observe zinc release upon neuronal activation. The resulting image has been pseudocolored based on fluorescence intensity.
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Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - N…

Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - Nikon SDC. Hippocampal neurons use zinc as a neurotransmitter, but it is difficult to see zinc dynamics in cells. To overcome this challenge, primary hippocampal neurons can be genetically modified to express a fluorescent zinc sensor to measure zinc dynamics in real time. The image shown here is an example of one such modified neuron colored to show zinc sensor expression levels.
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Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - N…

Megan Schroeder & Andrea Gonzalez Rodriguez (Anseth Lab) - Nikon SDC. Understanding why fibrosis occurs is essential for creating drug therapies. To this end, researchers study specific heart valve cells called fibroblasts that are grown in 3D supportive matrix that mimic aspects of native tissue to probe cell response in disease-like scenarios. Here, we see fibroblasts within a 3D gel. Various tones of blue mark the individual cell nuclei and their cytoskeletal components.
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Megan Schroeder & Andrea Gonz…

2016

Dilara Batan (Palmer Lab) - Nikon WF. This image shows individual Listeria bacteria in green and the cellular cytoskeleton of host cells in red. As the initial invasive bacterium gains a foothold within a host cell and multiplies, its daughter cells can escape the host cell and infect neighboring cells. The direct observation of the spread of bacteria can lead to the discovery of new treatments for bacterial infections.
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Dilara Batan (Palmer Lab) - N…

Mike Minson (Palmer Lab) - Nikon SDC. The cells in this image have been infected with the bacteria Salmonella (in red), with some proteins from the invasive bacteria shown in green. The nucleus of each host cell is in blue. Witnessing how bacteria are spreading allows us to directly observe a specific response to the bacteria, and helps to identify new antibacterial targets for drug treatment.
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Mike Minson (Palmer Lab) - Ni…

Meghan Schroeder (Anseth Lab) - Nikon SDC. At the cellular level, heart disease of the aortic valve can be characterized by the presence of stiffness and stress fibers. This can be induced and observed in the lab, allowing researchers to gain an increased understanding of heart disease. Stress fibers grown on a stiff matrix are shown in this image under two different color sets. Warm tones: Nuclei (blue), Stress Fibers (red), Normal Fibers (green); Cool tones: Nuclei (green), Stress Fibers (blue), Normal Fibers (magenta).
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Meghan Schroeder (Anseth Lab)…

Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - Nikon A1R. The hippocampus of the brain serves as the center for our emotions, memory, and the autonomic nervous system. Here, a hippocampal neuron has been genetically modified to report the local concentration of zinc, a tool that can provide insight into its function under normal and stressed conditions. In this image, the brighter colors indicate a higher zinc concentration. A deeper understanding of these functions can help medical professionals ensure the proper chemical balance within our neurons.
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Lynn Sanford (Palmer Lab) - N…

Christa Blenck (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon A1R. Here, the presence of estrogen (green) within the nucleus (blue) of an adult rat heart muscle cell (red) is shown. Estrogen has been shown to be a critical component in cardiac health and disease. Identification and further research of estrogen’s roll in maintaining cardiac health may lead to the development of treatments for a variety of cardiac diseases.
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Christa Blenck (Leinwand Lab)…

Erik Bunker (Liu Lab) - Nikon SDC. Live-cell microscopy allows us to monitor cell division as it relates to wound healing in skin cells. Using this technology, researchers can observe parameters such as a cell growth regulator (red), a membrane-bound sensor for cell communication (green), and the nucleus of each cell (blue). Observing these parameters can increase our understanding of cell division under normal and cancerous conditions, leading to the identification of novel cancer-specific targets for drug development.
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Erik Bunker (Liu Lab) - Nikon…

Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon SDC. In this image, bundles of myosin filaments (in green and red) and its chaperone protein (blue) are shown. Myosins are the motor proteins that power muscle contraction. The study of myosin filament assembly can provide powerful insights into the treatment of defects in heart and skeletal muscle.
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Chicca and Massimo Buvoli (Le…

Eric Kramer (Rentschler Lab) - Nikon WF. This image allowed us to observe the changes in collagen (the primary support structure for our arteries) once a specific medical device had been used to seal an artery. Researchers observed the effectiveness and efficiency of the tool, by color-coding the native pre-procedure collagen (colored), and the denatured post- procedure collagen (transparent), which may ultimately help in the development of minimally invasive medical devices.
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Eric Kramer (Rentschler Lab) …

Esther Choi (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon A1R. Here, we see the heart muscle cells of a neonatal rat; its cellular components broken down and color-coded. The individual cellular units which allow for contraction and beating of the heart are shown in red, and the nuclei in blue. Images such as this help researchers in their quest to prevent or correct genetic heart defects.
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Esther Choi (Leinwand Lab) - …

Katie Heiser (Leinwand Lab) - Nikon SDC. Microtubules are tubular aggregates of proteins that are involved in a number of cellular processes. Here the microtubules of a mouse embryo are colored according to their location with this 3D image, with the cell nucleus shown in grey. The ability to observe such fine structures in 3D allows researchers to image nearly every facet of the cell, leading to a myriad of discoveries.
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Katie Heiser (Leinwand Lab) -…

Anouk Killaars (Anseth Lab) - Nikon A1R. Stem cells can become many different types of cells that are found within our bodies. In the lab, the material that they are grown on can direct the cell transformation. In this image, the interaction of the cell and the material are shown in green, the nucleus is blue and the sub-cellular microfilaments are red. Research such as this may lead to enormous gains in personalized medicine.
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Anouk Killaars (Anseth Lab) -…

Dani Konetski (Bowman Lab) - Nikon A1R. A vesicle is fundamentally similar to a cell membrane and can be created synthetically, making this an ideal model structure for laboratory research. Because of its similarity to a cell membrane, vesicles have numerous applications including drug delivery and membrane studies. In this image, an aggregation of light-induced vesicles is shown.
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Dani Konetski (Bowman Lab) - …