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Precisely Delivering Chemical Cargo to Cells
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Moving protein or other molecules to specific cells to treat or examine them has been a major biological challenge. Nature Nanotechnology View Media
Carbon building blocks
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The arrangement of identical molecular components can make a dramatic difference. For example, carbon atoms can be arranged into dull graphite (left) or sparkly diamonds (right). Crabtree + Company View Media
Biopixels
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Bioengineers were able to coax bacteria to blink in unison on microfluidic chips. This image shows a small chip with about 500 blinking bacterial colonies or biopixels. Jeff Hasty Lab, UC San Diego View Media
Structure of heme, side view
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Molecular model of the struture of heme. Heme is a small, flat molecule with an iron ion (dark red) at its center. Rachel Kramer Green, RCSB Protein Data Bank View Media
G switch (with labels)
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The G switch allows our bodies to respond rapidly to hormones. G proteins act like relay batons to pass messages from circulating hormones into cells. Crabtree + Company View Media
Glucose and sucrose
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Glucose (top) and sucrose (bottom) are sugars made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates include simple sugars like these and are the main source of energy for the human body. Crabtree + Company View Media
Tongue 1
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Microscopy image of tongue. One in a series of two, see image 5811 National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR) View Media
Pathways: What is It? | Why Scientists Study Cells
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Learn how curiosity about the world and our cells is key to scientific discoveries. National Institute of General Medical Sciences View Media
Stem cell differentiation
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Undifferentiated embryonic stem cells cease to exist a few days after conception. In this image, ES cells are shown to differentiate into sperm, muscle fiber, hair cells, nerve cells, and cone cells. Judith Stoffer View Media
Cryogenic storage tanks at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research
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Established in 1953, the Coriell Institute for Medical Research distributes cell lines and DNA samples to researchers around the world. Courtney Sill, Coriell Institute for Medical Research View Media
Bacterial cells aggregating above the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid
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A light organ (~0.5 mm across) of a juvenile Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Carnegie Institution for Science/California Institute of Technology, and Edward G. Ruby, California Institute of Technology. View Media
Calling Cards in a mouse brain
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The green spots in this mouse brain are cells labeled with Calling Cards, a technology that records molecular events in brain cells as they mature. Allen Yen, Lab of Joseph Dougherty, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. View Media
Snowflake DNA origami
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An atomic force microscopy image shows DNA folded into an intricate, computer-designed structure. The image is featured on Biomedical Beat blog post Cool Images: A Holiday-Themed Collection. Hao Yan, Arizona State University View Media
Nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase
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Model of the enzyme nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase. Berkeley Structural Genomics Center, PSI View Media
Salivary gland in the developing fruit fly
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For fruit flies, the salivary gland is used to secrete materials for making the pupal case, the protective enclosure in which a larva transforms into an adult fly. Richard Fehon, University of Chicago View Media
Scientists display X-ray diffraction pattern obtained with split X-ray beamline
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Scientists from Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source (APS) display the first X-ray diffraction pattern obtained from a protein crystal using a split X-ray beam, the first of its kind a GM/CA Collaborative Access Team View Media
Mouse cerebellum
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The cerebellum is the brain's locomotion control center. Found at the base of your brain, the cerebellum is a single layer of tissue with deep folds like an accordion. National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR) View Media
Glow-in-the-dark salamanders
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These six-month-old axolotls, a kind of salamander, glow green and blue under ultraviolet light. That's because they were genetically modified to make harmless green fluorescent protein, or GFP. View Media
Breast cancer cells change migration phenotypes
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Cancer cells can change their migration phenotype, which includes their shape and the way that they move to invade different tissues. Bo Sun, Oregon State University. View Media
Protein from Arabidopsis thaliana
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NMR solution structure of a plant protein that may function in host defense. This protein was expressed in a convenient and efficient wheat germ cell-free system. Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics View Media
An adult Hawaiian bobtail squid
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An adult female Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, with its mantle cavity exposed from the underside. Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Carnegie Institution for Science/California Institute of Technology, and Edward G. Ruby, California Institute of Technology. View Media
Magnesium transporter protein from E. faecalis
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Structure of a magnesium transporter protein from an antibiotic-resistant bacterium (Enterococcus faecalis) found in the human gut. New York Structural GenomiX Consortium View Media
Dopamine D3 receptor
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The receptor is shown bound to an antagonist, eticlopride Raymond Stevens, The Scripps Research Institute View Media
Motion in the brain
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Amid a network of blood vessels and star-shaped support cells, neurons in the brain signal each other. The mists of color show the flow of important molecules like glucose and oxygen. Kim Hager and Neal Prakash, University of California, Los Angeles View Media
Mitochondria
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Bean-shaped mitochondria are cells' power plants. These organelles have their own DNA and replicate independently. The highly folded inner membranes are the site of energy generation. Judith Stoffer View Media
Human aspartoacylase
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Model of aspartoacylase, a human enzyme involved in brain metabolism. Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics, PSI View Media
VDAC video 02
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This video shows the structure of the pore-forming protein VDAC-1 from humans. Gerhard Wagner, Harvard Medical School View Media
Heat shock protein complex from Methanococcus jannaschii
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Model based on X-ray crystallography of the structure of a small heat shock protein complex from the bacteria, Methanococcus jannaschii. Berkeley Structural Genomics Center, PSI-1 View Media
Abnormal, spiky fibroblast
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This is a fibroblast, a connective tissue cell that plays an important role in wound healing. Normal fibroblasts have smooth edges. Praveen Suraneni, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Mo. View Media
Gene silencing
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Pretty in pink, the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDA6) stands out against a background of blue-tinted DNA in the nucleus of an Arabidopsis plant cell. Olga Pontes and Craig Pikaard, Washington University View Media
From DNA to Protein (labeled)
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The genetic code in DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is translated into proteins with specific sequences. Crabtree + Company View Media
RNase A (2)
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A crystal of RNase A protein created for X-ray crystallography, which can reveal detailed, three-dimensional protein structures. Alex McPherson, University of California, Irvine View Media
Electrostatic map of human spermine synthase
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From PDB entry 3c6k, Crystal structure of human spermine synthase in complex with spermidine and 5-methylthioadenosine. Emil Alexov, Clemson University View Media
Borrelia burgdorferi
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Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete, a class of long, slender bacteria that typically take on a coiled shape. Infection with this bacterium causes Lyme disease. Tina Weatherby Carvalho, University of Hawaii at Manoa View Media
Oligoendopeptidase F from B. stearothermophilus
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Crystal structure of oligoendopeptidase F, a protein slicing enzyme from Bacillus stearothermophilus, a bacterium that can cause food products to spoil. Accelerated Technologies Center for Gene to 3D Structure/Midwest Center for Structural Genomics View Media
ATP synthase
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The world's smallest motor, ATP synthase, generates energy for the cell. See image 2518 for a labeled version of this illustration. Crabtree + Company View Media
Human endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex
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A 3D model of the human endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex (EMC) that identifies its nine essential subunits. Rebecca Voorhees, California Institute of Technology. View Media
Cluster analysis of mysterious protein
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Researchers use cluster analysis to study protein shape and function. Each green circle represents one potential shape of the protein mitoNEET. Patricia Jennings and Elizabeth Baxter, University of California, San Diego View Media
Anchor cell in basement membrane
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An anchor cell (red) pushes through the basement membrane (green) that surrounds it. Elliott Hagedorn, Duke University. View Media
Mouse heart muscle cells
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This image shows neonatal mouse heart cells. These cells were grown in the lab on a chip that aligns the cells in a way that mimics what is normally seen in the body. Kara McCloskey lab, University of California, Merced, via CIRM View Media
Dengue virus membrane protein structure
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Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne illness that infects millions of people in the tropics and subtropics each year. Like many viruses, dengue is enclosed by a protective membrane. Hong Zhou, UCLA View Media
Neuron with labeled synapses
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In this image, recombinant probes known as FingRs (Fibronectin Intrabodies Generated by mRNA display) were expressed in a cortical neuron, where they attached fluorescent proteins to either PSD95 (gre Don Arnold and Richard Roberts, University of Southern California. View Media
Kinases (with labels)
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Kinases are enzymes that add phosphate groups (red-yellow structures) to proteins (green), assigning the proteins a code. Crabtree + Company View Media
iPS cell facility at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research
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This lab space was designed for work on the induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell collection, part of the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research. Courtney Sill, Coriell Institute for Medical Research View Media
Precise development in the fruit fly embryo
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This 2-hour-old fly embryo already has a blueprint for its formation, and the process for following it is so precise that the difference of just a few key molecules can change the plans. Thomas Gregor, Princeton University View Media
Microarray 01
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Microarrays, also called gene chips, are tools that let scientists track the activity of hundreds or thousands of genes simultaneously. Maggie Werner-Washburne, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque View Media
Neural development
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Using techniques that took 4 years to design, a team of developmental biologists showed that certain proteins can direct the subdivision of fruit fly and chicken nervous system tissue into the regions Mieko Mizutani and Ethan Bier, University of California, San Diego, and Henk Roelink, University of Washington View Media
Microtubule growth
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Map of microtubule growth rates. Rates are color coded. This is an example of NIH-supported research on single-cell analysis. Gaudenz Danuser, Harvard Medical School View Media
