Friday, November 23, 2012

Living cells captured in pyramid cages

Joanna Carver, reporter

Small-CELL-034.jpg(Image: University of Twente, The Netherlands)

This microscopic pyramid is actually a cage for a living cell, constructed to better observe cells in their natural 3D environment, as opposed to the usual flat plane of a?Petri?dish.

Researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands made the cage by depositing nitrides over silicon pits. When most of the material is peeled away, a? small amount of material remains in the corners?to create a pyramid.

Because the pyramids have holes in the sides and are close together, the cells can interact for the most part as they naturally do.?

"The thing is because they're so open, [cells] can easily make connections to the outside,"?said?Aart van Apeldoorn, one of the researchers.?"The 3D surface is more or less mimicking how cells act in actual tissues. Everything in our body is three-dimensional."

Journal reference: Small, DOI: 10.1002/smll.201201446

Subscribe to New Scientist Magazine

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/25e620f9/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C110Cmicro0Epyramid0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

billy crystal oscar winners 2012 billy crystal oscars 2012 angelina jolie oscars chardon high school

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.