A stunning, highly magnified image of human brain tumour cells has won a University of Dundee researcher recognition in the Wellcome Trust's "Truth and Beauty" exhibition.
Alex Gray, from the School of Life Sciences, injected fluorescent red spheres onto a sample of tumour cells to measure how they ingest material through a process called endocytosis - when a substance enters a cell without actually passing through the cell membrane.
The image, known scientifically as a deconvolved micrograph, shows the cells, which are labelled green with jellyfish green fluorescent protein, fused to a tumour suppressor protein called PTEN. They are taking up the tiny fluorescent spheres, which are only 0.02mm in diameter. Gradually, the cell membrane extends around the spheres until they are completely enclosed. The membrane enclosing the sphere then breaks away from the edge and moves to its destination within the cell, called lysosomes - the cell's garbage disposal units. Using this image and others where mutant PTEN proteins are used, scientists can measure the effects of the mutations on the process of endocytosis.
Alex's image has just gone on show in the Wellcome Trust's TwoTen Gallery science and art exhibition, entitled "Truth and Beauty". The exhibition displays work by contemporary artists, designers and film-makers, all of whose work draws inspiration from the scientific arena. The Wellcome Trust Medical Photographic Library presents Biomedical Image Awards for the most stunning images submitted to them each year, and these form the annual exhibition. The exhibition runs at the Wellcome Trust TwoTen Gallery in London until 21 March 2003.
Alex is based in the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy within the School of Life Sciences. The aim of the Division is to develop drug targets for a number of diseases. Part of these studies involves the use of a state-of-the-art digital deconvolution microscope (Improvision) for optical sectioning.
Contact Angela Nicoll 01382 348377
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk