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

Cryo-electron tomography and mathematical modelling reveal forces created by actin networks inside cells as they move and grip

19 August 2022

Around the Bend

Cells rely on a flexible skeleton of tiny actin filaments, prodding into the cellular floor like tent poles anchored in the living environment around them. Here they’re revealed – virtually sifted out like treasure trove from sand using a technique called electron cryotomography. The actin fibres in this human cell are highlighted in rainbow colours based on their orientation towards the floor. They form a dense stack alongside other fibres (brown) nestling below the cell’s organelles (grey) in cell regions called podosomes. With help from mathematical modelling, researchers find the complex mesh of fibres pulls together to store large amounts of elastic energy in the central core of bending actin fibres – like coiled springs they punch out, helping the cell to feel grip or destroy the surrounding environment. These models used may now be adapted to investigate forces in other cells, perhaps during development or during the spread of cancer.

Written by John Ankers

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.