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This is a searchable collection of scientific photos, illustrations, and videos. The images and videos in this gallery are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial ShareAlike 3.0. This license lets you remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit and license your new creations under identical terms.
7015: Bacterial cells migrating through the tissues of the squid light organ
7015: Bacterial cells migrating through the tissues of the squid light organ
Vibrio fischeri cells (~ 2 mm), labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP), passing through a very narrow bottleneck in the tissues (red) of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, on the way to the crypts where the symbiont population resides. This image was taken using a confocal fluorescence microscope.
Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Carnegie Institution for Science/California Institute of Technology, and Edward G. Ruby, California Institute of Technology.
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6541: Pathways: What's the Connection? | Different Jobs in a Science Lab
6541: Pathways: What's the Connection? | Different Jobs in a Science Lab
Learn about some of the different jobs in a scientific laboratory and how researchers work as a team to make discoveries. Discover more resources from NIGMS’ Pathways collaboration with Scholastic. View the video on YouTube for closed captioning.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
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1265: Glycan arrays
1265: Glycan arrays
The signal is obtained by allowing proteins in human serum to interact with glycan (polysaccharide) arrays. The arrays are shown in replicate so the pattern is clear. Each spot contains a specific type of glycan. Proteins have bound to the spots highlighted in green.
Ola Blixt, Scripps Research Institute
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6927: Axolotl showing nervous system
6927: Axolotl showing nervous system
The head of an axolotl—a type of salamander—that has been genetically modified so that its developing nervous system glows purple and its Schwann cell nuclei appear light blue. Schwann cells insulate and provide nutrients to peripheral nerve cells. Researchers often study axolotls for their extensive regenerative abilities. They can regrow tails, limbs, spinal cords, brains, and more. The researcher who took this image focuses on the role of the peripheral nervous system during limb regeneration.
This image was captured using a light sheet microscope.
Related to images 6928 and 6932.
This image was captured using a light sheet microscope.
Related to images 6928 and 6932.
Prayag Murawala, MDI Biological Laboratory and Hannover Medical School.
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2349: Dimeric association of receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase
2349: Dimeric association of receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase
Model of the catalytic portion of an enzyme, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase from humans. The enzyme consists of two identical protein subunits, shown in blue and green. The groups made up of purple and red balls represent phosphate groups, chemical groups that can influence enzyme activity. This phosphatase removes phosphate groups from the enzyme tyrosine kinase, counteracting its effects.
New York Structural GenomiX Research Consortium, PSI
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2801: Trajectories of labeled cell receptors
3730: A molecular interaction network in yeast 1
3730: A molecular interaction network in yeast 1
The image visualizes a part of the yeast molecular interaction network. The lines in the network represent connections among genes (shown as little dots) and different-colored networks indicate subnetworks, for instance, those in specific locations or pathways in the cell. Researchers use gene or protein expression data to build these networks; the network shown here was visualized with a program called Cytoscape. By following changes in the architectures of these networks in response to altered environmental conditions, scientists can home in on those genes that become central "hubs" (highly connected genes), for example, when a cell encounters stress. They can then further investigate the precise role of these genes to uncover how a cell's molecular machinery deals with stress or other factors. Related to images 3732 and 3733.
Keiichiro Ono, UCSD
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2608: Human embryonic stem cells
2608: Human embryonic stem cells
The center cluster of cells, colored blue, shows a colony of human embryonic stem cells. These cells, which arise at the earliest stages of development, are capable of differentiating into any of the 220 types of cells in the human body and can provide access to cells for basic research and potential therapies. This image is from the lab of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's James Thomson.
James Thomson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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2414: Pig trypsin (3)
2414: Pig trypsin (3)
Crystals of porcine trypsin protein created for X-ray crystallography, which can reveal detailed, three-dimensional protein structures.
Alex McPherson, University of California, Irvine
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2559: RNA interference (with labels)
2559: RNA interference (with labels)
RNA interference or RNAi is a gene-silencing process in which double-stranded RNAs trigger the destruction of specific RNAs. See 2558 for an unlabeled version of this illustration. Featured in The New Genetics.
Crabtree + Company
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3458: Computer algorithm
3458: Computer algorithm
This computer algorithm plots all feasible small carbon-based molecules as though they were cities on a map and identifies huge, unexplored spaces that may help fuel research into new drug therapies. Featured in the May 16, 2013 issue of Biomedical Beat.
Aaron Virshup, Julia Contreras-Garcia, Peter Wipf, Weitao Yang and David Beratan, University of Pittsburgh Center for Chemical Methodologies and Library Development
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3789: Nucleolus subcompartments spontaneously self-assemble 1
3789: Nucleolus subcompartments spontaneously self-assemble 1
The nucleolus is a small but very important protein complex located in the cell's nucleus. It forms on the chromosomes at the location where the genes for the RNAs are that make up the structure of the ribosome, the indispensable cellular machine that makes proteins from messenger RNAs.
However, how the nucleolus grows and maintains its structure has puzzled scientists for some time. It turns out that even though it looks like a simple liquid blob, it's rather well-organized, consisting of three distinct layers: the fibrillar center, where the RNA polymerase is active; the dense fibrillar component, which is enriched in the protein fibrillarin; and the granular component, which contains a protein called nucleophosmin. Researchers have now discovered that this multilayer structure of the nucleolus arises from difference in how the proteins in each compartment mix with water and with each other. These differences let them readily separate from each other into the three nucleolus compartments.
This video of nucleoli in the eggs of a commonly used lab animal, the frog Xenopus laevis, shows how each of the compartments (the granular component is shown in red, the fibrillarin in yellow-green, and the fibrillar center in blue) spontaneously fuse with each other on encounter without mixing with the other compartments. For more details on this research, see this press release from Princeton. Related to video 3791, image 3792 and image 3793.
However, how the nucleolus grows and maintains its structure has puzzled scientists for some time. It turns out that even though it looks like a simple liquid blob, it's rather well-organized, consisting of three distinct layers: the fibrillar center, where the RNA polymerase is active; the dense fibrillar component, which is enriched in the protein fibrillarin; and the granular component, which contains a protein called nucleophosmin. Researchers have now discovered that this multilayer structure of the nucleolus arises from difference in how the proteins in each compartment mix with water and with each other. These differences let them readily separate from each other into the three nucleolus compartments.
This video of nucleoli in the eggs of a commonly used lab animal, the frog Xenopus laevis, shows how each of the compartments (the granular component is shown in red, the fibrillarin in yellow-green, and the fibrillar center in blue) spontaneously fuse with each other on encounter without mixing with the other compartments. For more details on this research, see this press release from Princeton. Related to video 3791, image 3792 and image 3793.
Nilesh Vaidya, Princeton University
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6549: The Structure of Cilia’s Doublet Microtubules
6549: The Structure of Cilia’s Doublet Microtubules
Cilia (cilium in singular) are complex molecular machines found on many of our cells. One component of cilia is the doublet microtubule, a major part of cilia’s skeletons that give them support and shape. This animated video illustrates the structure of doublet microtubules, which contain 451 protein chains that were mapped using cryo-electron microscopy. Image can be found here 6548.
Brown Lab, Harvard Medical School and Veronica Falconieri Hays
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2407: Jack bean concanavalin A
2407: Jack bean concanavalin A
Crystals of jack bean concanavalin A protein created for X-ray crystallography, which can reveal detailed, three-dimensional protein structures.
Alex McPherson, University of California, Irvine
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2593: Precise development in the fruit fly embryo
2593: Precise development in the fruit fly embryo
This 2-hour-old fly embryo already has a blueprint for its formation, and the process for following it is so precise that the difference of just a few key molecules can change the plans. Here, blue marks a high concentration of Bicoid, a key signaling protein that directs the formation of the fly's head. It also regulates another important protein, Hunchback (green), that further maps the head and thorax structures and partitions the embryo in half (red is DNA). The yellow dots overlaying the embryo plot the concentration of Bicoid versus Hunchback proteins within each nucleus. The image illustrates the precision with which an embryo interprets and locates its halfway boundary, approaching limits set by simple physical principles. This image was a finalist in the 2008 Drosophila Image Award.
Thomas Gregor, Princeton University
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2771: Self-organizing proteins
2771: Self-organizing proteins
Under the microscope, an E. coli cell lights up like a fireball. Each bright dot marks a surface protein that tells the bacteria to move toward or away from nearby food and toxins. Using a new imaging technique, researchers can map the proteins one at a time and combine them into a single image. This lets them study patterns within and among protein clusters in bacterial cells, which don't have nuclei or organelles like plant and animal cells. Seeing how the proteins arrange themselves should help researchers better understand how cell signaling works.
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2483: Trp_RS - tryptophanyl tRNA-synthetase family of enzymes
2483: Trp_RS - tryptophanyl tRNA-synthetase family of enzymes
This image represents the structure of TrpRS, a novel member of the tryptophanyl tRNA-synthetase family of enzymes. By helping to link the amino acid tryptophan to a tRNA molecule, TrpRS primes the amino acid for use in protein synthesis. A cluster of iron and sulfur atoms (orange and red spheres) was unexpectedly found in the anti-codon domain, a key part of the molecule, and appears to be critical for the function of the enzyme. TrpRS was discovered in Thermotoga maritima, a rod-shaped bacterium that flourishes in high temperatures.
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3264: Peripheral nerve cell derived from ES cells
3264: Peripheral nerve cell derived from ES cells
A peripheral nerve cell made from human embryonic stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells. The nucleus is shown in blue, and nerve cell proteins peripherin and beta-tubulin (Tuj1) are shown in green and red, respectively. Related to image 3263.
Stephen Dalton, University of Georgia
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5764: Host infection stimulates antibiotic resistance
5764: Host infection stimulates antibiotic resistance
This illustration shows pathogenic bacteria behave like a Trojan horse: switching from antibiotic susceptibility to resistance during infection. Salmonella are vulnerable to antibiotics while circulating in the blood (depicted by fire on red blood cell) but are highly resistant when residing within host macrophages. This leads to treatment failure with the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.
This image was chosen as a winner of the 2016 NIH-funded research image call, and the research was funded in part by NIGMS.
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This image was chosen as a winner of the 2016 NIH-funded research image call, and the research was funded in part by NIGMS.
2500: Glucose and sucrose
2500: Glucose and sucrose
Glucose (top) and sucrose (bottom) are sugars made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates include simple sugars like these and are the main source of energy for the human body.
Crabtree + Company
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6997: Shiga toxin
6997: Shiga toxin
E. coli bacteria normally live harmlessly in our intestines, but some cause disease by making toxins. One of these toxins, called Shiga toxin (green), inactivates host ribosomes (purple) by mimicking their normal binding partners, the EF-Tu elongation factor (red) complexed with Phe-tRNAPhe (orange).
Find these in the RCSB Protein Data Bank: Shiga toxin 2 (PDB entry 7U6V) and Phe-tRNA (PDB entry 1TTT).
More information about this work can be found in the J. Biol. Chem. paper "Cryo-EM structure of Shiga toxin 2 in complex with the native ribosomal P-stalk reveals residues involved in the binding interaction" by Kulczyk et. al.
Find these in the RCSB Protein Data Bank: Shiga toxin 2 (PDB entry 7U6V) and Phe-tRNA (PDB entry 1TTT).
More information about this work can be found in the J. Biol. Chem. paper "Cryo-EM structure of Shiga toxin 2 in complex with the native ribosomal P-stalk reveals residues involved in the binding interaction" by Kulczyk et. al.
Amy Wu and Christine Zardecki, RCSB Protein Data Bank.
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3724: Snowflake DNA origami
3724: Snowflake DNA origami
An atomic force microscopy image shows DNA folded into an intricate, computer-designed structure. The image is featured on Biomedical Beat blog post Cool Images: A Holiday-Themed Collection. For more background on DNA origami, see Cool Image: DNA Origami. See also related image 3690.
Hao Yan, Arizona State University
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6579: Full-length serotonin receptor (ion channel)
6579: Full-length serotonin receptor (ion channel)
A 3D reconstruction, created using cryo-electron microscopy, of an ion channel known as the full-length serotonin receptor in complex with the antinausea drug granisetron (orange). Ion channels are proteins in cell membranes that help regulate many processes.
Sudha Chakrapani, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
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2543: DNA replication illustration
2543: DNA replication illustration
During DNA replication, each strand of the original molecule acts as a template for the synthesis of a new, complementary DNA strand. See image 2544 for a labeled version of this illustration.
Crabtree + Company
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6465: CRISPR Illustration Frame 1
6465: CRISPR Illustration Frame 1
This illustration shows, in simplified terms, how the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be used as a gene-editing tool. This is the first frame in a series of four. The CRISPR system has two components joined together: a finely tuned targeting device (a small strand of RNA programmed to look for a specific DNA sequence) and a strong cutting device (an enzyme called Cas9 that can cut through a double strand of DNA).
For an explanation and overview of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, see the iBiology video, and find the full CRIPSR illustration here.
For an explanation and overview of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, see the iBiology video, and find the full CRIPSR illustration here.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
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2331: Statistical cartography
2331: Statistical cartography
Like a world of its own, this sphere represents all the known chemical reactions in the E. coli bacterium. The colorful circles on the surface symbolize sets of densely interconnected reactions. The lines between the circles show additional connecting reactions. The shapes inside the circles are landmark molecules, like capital cities on a map, that either act as hubs for many groups of reactions, are highly conserved among species, or both. Molecules that connect far-flung reactions on the sphere are much more conserved during evolution than molecules that connect reactions within a single circle. This statistical cartography could reveal insights about other complex systems, such as protein interactions and gene regulation networks.
Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Northwestern University
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2357: Capillary protein crystallization robot
2357: Capillary protein crystallization robot
This ACAPELLA robot for capillary protein crystallization grows protein crystals, freezes them, and centers them without manual intervention. The close-up is a view of one of the dispensers used for dispensing proteins and reagents.
Structural Genomics of Pathogenic Protozoa Consortium
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6995: Measles virus
6995: Measles virus
A cross section of the measles virus in which six proteins work together to infect cells. The measles virus is extremely infectious; 9 out of 10 people exposed will contract the disease. Fortunately, an effective vaccine protects against infection.
For a zoomed-in look at the six important proteins, see Measles Virus Proteins.
For a zoomed-in look at the six important proteins, see Measles Virus Proteins.
Amy Wu and Christine Zardecki, RCSB Protein Data Bank.
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6588: Cell-like compartments emerging from scrambled frog eggs 2
6588: Cell-like compartments emerging from scrambled frog eggs 2
Cell-like compartments spontaneously emerge from scrambled frog eggs, with nuclei (blue) from frog sperm. Endoplasmic reticulum (red) and microtubules (green) are also visible. Regions without nuclei formed smaller compartments. Video created using epifluorescence microscopy.
For more photos of cell-like compartments from frog eggs view: 6584, 6585, 6586, 6591, 6592, and 6593.
For videos of cell-like compartments from frog eggs view: 6587, 6589, and 6590.
Xianrui Cheng, Stanford University School of Medicine.
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1083: Natcher Building 03
1083: Natcher Building 03
NIGMS staff are located in the Natcher Building on the NIH campus.
Alisa Machalek, National Institute of General Medical Sciences
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2400: Pig trypsin (1)
2400: Pig trypsin (1)
A crystal of porcine trypsin protein created for X-ray crystallography, which can reveal detailed, three-dimensional protein structures.
Alex McPherson, University of California, Irvine
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3390: NCMIR Intestine-2
3390: NCMIR Intestine-2
The small intestine is where most of our nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed into the bloodstream. The walls of the intestine contain small finger-like projections called villi which increase the organ's surface area, enhancing nutrient absorption. It consists of the duodenum, which connects to the stomach, the jejenum and the ileum, which connects with the large intestine. Related to image 3389.
Tom Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR)
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3749: 3D image of actin in a cell
3749: 3D image of actin in a cell
Actin is an essential protein in a cell's skeleton (cytoskeleton). It forms a dense network of thin filaments in the cell. Here, researchers have used a technique called stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to visualize the actin network in a cell in three dimensions. The actin strands were labeled with a dye called Alexa Fluor 647-phalloidin. This image appears in a study published by Nature Methods, which reports how researchers use STORM to visualize the cytoskeleton.
Xiaowei Zhuang, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
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2437: Hydra 01
2437: Hydra 01
Hydra magnipapillata is an invertebrate animal used as a model organism to study developmental questions, for example the formation of the body axis.
Hiroshi Shimizu, National Institute of Genetics in Mishima, Japan
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3738: Transmission electron microscopy of coronary artery wall with elastin-rich ECM pseudocolored in light brown
3738: Transmission electron microscopy of coronary artery wall with elastin-rich ECM pseudocolored in light brown
Elastin is a fibrous protein in the extracellular matrix (ECM). It is abundant in artery walls like the one shown here. As its name indicates, elastin confers elasticity. Elastin fibers are at least five times stretchier than rubber bands of the same size. Tissues that expand, such as blood vessels and lungs, need to be both strong and elastic, so they contain both collagen (another ECM protein) and elastin. In this photo, the elastin-rich ECM is colored grayish brown and is most visible at the bottom of the photo. The curved red structures near the top of the image are red blood cells.
Tom Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR)
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6593: Cell-like compartments from frog eggs 6
6593: Cell-like compartments from frog eggs 6
Cell-like compartments that spontaneously emerged from scrambled frog eggs, with nuclei (blue) from frog sperm. Endoplasmic reticulum (red) and microtubules (green) are also visible. Image created using confocal microscopy.
For more photos of cell-like compartments from frog eggs view: 6584, 6585, 6586, 6591, 6592.
For videos of cell-like compartments from frog eggs view: 6587, 6588, 6589, and 6590.
Xianrui Cheng, Stanford University School of Medicine.
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3387: NCMIR human spinal nerve
3387: NCMIR human spinal nerve
Spinal nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system. They run within the spinal column to carry nerve signals to and from all parts of the body. The spinal nerves enable all the movements we do, from turning our heads to wiggling our toes, control the movements of our internal organs, such as the colon and the bladder, as well as allow us to feel touch and the location of our limbs.
Tom Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR)
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3626: Bone cancer cell
3626: Bone cancer cell
This image shows an osteosarcoma cell with DNA in blue, energy factories (mitochondria) in yellow, and actin filaments—part of the cellular skeleton—in purple. One of the few cancers that originate in the bones, osteosarcoma is rare, with about a thousand new cases diagnosed each year in the United States.
This image was part of the Life: Magnified exhibit that ran from June 3, 2014, to January 21, 2015, at Dulles International Airport.
This image was part of the Life: Magnified exhibit that ran from June 3, 2014, to January 21, 2015, at Dulles International Airport.
Dylan Burnette and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, NICHD
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3748: Cryo-electron microscopy of the dengue virus showing protective membrane and membrane proteins
3748: Cryo-electron microscopy of the dengue virus showing protective membrane and membrane proteins
Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne illness that infects millions of people in the tropics and subtropics each year. Like many viruses, dengue is enclosed by a protective membrane. The proteins that span this membrane play an important role in the life cycle of the virus. Scientists used cryo-EM to determine the structure of a dengue virus at a 3.5-angstrom resolution to reveal how the membrane proteins undergo major structural changes as the virus matures and infects a host. For more on cryo-EM see the blog post Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Molecules in Ever Greater Detail. Related to image 3756.
Hong Zhou, UCLA
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6848: Himastatin
6848: Himastatin
A model of the molecule himastatin, which was first isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces himastatinicus. Himastatin shows antibiotic activity. The researchers who created this image developed a new, more concise way to synthesize himastatin so it can be studied more easily.
More information about the research that produced this image can be found in the Science paper “Total synthesis of himastatin” by D’Angelo et al.
Related to image 6850 and video 6851.
More information about the research that produced this image can be found in the Science paper “Total synthesis of himastatin” by D’Angelo et al.
Related to image 6850 and video 6851.
Mohammad Movassaghi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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1084: Natcher Building 04
1084: Natcher Building 04
NIGMS staff are located in the Natcher Building on the NIH campus.
Alisa Machalek, National Institute of General Medical Sciences
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2758: Cross section of a Drosophila melanogaster pupa
2758: Cross section of a Drosophila melanogaster pupa
This photograph shows a magnified view of a Drosophila melanogaster pupa in cross section. Compare this normal pupa to one that lacks an important receptor, shown in image 2759.
Christina McPhee and Eric Baehrecke, University of Massachusetts Medical School
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3280: Motor neuron progenitors derived from human ES cells
3280: Motor neuron progenitors derived from human ES cells
Motor neuron progenitors (green) were derived from human embryonic stem cells. Image and caption information courtesy of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Hans Keirstead lab, University of California, Irvine, via CIRM
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3263: Peripheral nerve cells derived from ES cells
3263: Peripheral nerve cells derived from ES cells
Peripheral nerve cells made from human embryonic stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells. The nuclei are shown in blue, and nerve cell proteins peripherin and beta-tubulin (Tuj1) are shown in green and red, respectively. Related to image 3264. Image is featured in October 2015 Biomedical Beat blog post Cool Images: A Halloween-Inspired Cell Collection.
Stephen Dalton, University of Georgia
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3580: V. Cholerae Biofilm
3580: V. Cholerae Biofilm
Industrious V. cholerae bacteria (yellow) tend to thrive in denser biofilms (left) while moochers (red) thrive in weaker biofilms (right). More information about the research behind this image can be found in a Biomedical Beat Blog posting from February 2014.
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3363: Dopamine D3 receptor
3363: Dopamine D3 receptor
The receptor is shown bound to an antagonist, eticlopride
Raymond Stevens, The Scripps Research Institute
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2702: Thermotoga maritima and its metabolic network
2702: Thermotoga maritima and its metabolic network
A combination of protein structures determined experimentally and computationally shows us the complete metabolic network of a heat-loving bacterium.
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2377: Protein involved in cell division from Mycoplasma pneumoniae
2377: Protein involved in cell division from Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Model of a protein involved in cell division from Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This model, based on X-ray crystallography, revealed a structural domain not seen before. The protein is thought to be involved in cell division and cell wall biosynthesis.
Berkeley Structural Genomics Center, PSI
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2794: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 01
2794: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 01
Ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743, brand name Yondelis), was discovered and isolated from a sea squirt, Ecteinascidia turbinata, by NIGMS grantee Kenneth Rinehart at the University of Illinois. It was synthesized by NIGMS grantees E.J. Corey and later by Samuel Danishefsky. Multiple versions of this structure are available as entries 2790-2797.
Timothy Jamison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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2419: Mapping brain differences
2419: Mapping brain differences
This image of the human brain uses colors and shapes to show neurological differences between two people. The blurred front portion of the brain, associated with complex thought, varies most between the individuals. The blue ovals mark areas of basic function that vary relatively little. Visualizations like this one are part of a project to map complex and dynamic information about the human brain, including genes, enzymes, disease states, and anatomy. The brain maps represent collaborations between neuroscientists and experts in math, statistics, computer science, bioinformatics, imaging, and nanotechnology.
Arthur Toga, University of California, Los Angeles
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