BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

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

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Move, Migrate, Manoeuvre
08 November 2016

Move, Migrate, Manoeuvre

If you could squeeze through keyholes, where would you go? Some immune cells, called dendritic cells (DCs), manoeuvre through small gaps as they patrol your tissues for invaders. Structures called podosomes inside the cell help sense what kind of material it’s passing through. Podosomes are bundles of proteins which protrude from the cell membrane and help the cell judge how best to move. The image shows a DC moving over a slide – each colour indicates the position of a podosome cluster at a different time point. Recent research has found that nearby podosomes interact with each other by exchanging their components in particular patterns, depending on the properties of the material the cell is travelling over. This could act as a signal to co-ordinate the movement of a cluster of podosomes. Understanding cell movement can tell us how immune cells travel and how skin cells migrate to heal wounds.

Written by Esther Redhouse White

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.