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Cells on Chips
11 May 2012

Cells on Chips

Cells are problematically small. Monitoring the behaviour of molecules inside living cells presents scientists with quite a challenge. But detecting the changing concentrations of chemicals on a microscopic scale and millisecond timeframe can reveal a lot. And new techniques are providing better ways to sense these changes. Growing living cells on gold microchips like the one shown here, allows measurement of chemical concentration in real time, and in microscopic detail. The chip records electrochemical data, which are interpreted as biochemical goings on within the cells. The potential is far-reaching, from ascertaining how nerve cell behaviour changes with age, to identifying which molecules spur on angiogenesis [the growth of new blood vessels]. These microengineered sensors are certainly opening a new window into the private life of the cell.

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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