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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.

2452: Seeing signaling protein activation in cells 02
2452: Seeing signaling protein activation in cells 02
Cdc42, a member of the Rho family of small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) proteins, regulates multiple cell functions, including motility, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell morphology. In order to fulfill these diverse roles, the timing and location of Cdc42 activation must be tightly controlled. Klaus Hahn and his research group use special dyes designed to report protein conformational changes and interactions, here in living neutrophil cells. Warmer colors in this image indicate higher levels of activation. Cdc42 looks to be activated at cell protrusions.
Related to images 2451, 2453, and 2454.
Related to images 2451, 2453, and 2454.
Klaus Hahn, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Medical School
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6898: Crane fly spermatocyte undergoing meiosis
6898: Crane fly spermatocyte undergoing meiosis
A crane fly spermatocyte during metaphase of meiosis-I, a step in the production of sperm. A meiotic spindle pulls apart three pairs of autosomal chromosomes, along with a sex chromosome on the right. Tubular mitochondria surround the spindle and chromosomes. This video was captured with quantitative orientation-independent differential interference contrast and is a time lapse showing a 1-second image taken every 30 seconds over the course of 30 minutes.
More information about the research that produced this video can be found in the J. Biomed Opt. paper “Orientation-Independent Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy and Its Combination with Orientation-Independent Polarization System” by Shribak et. al.
More information about the research that produced this video can be found in the J. Biomed Opt. paper “Orientation-Independent Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy and Its Combination with Orientation-Independent Polarization System” by Shribak et. al.
Michael Shribak, Marine Biological Laboratory/University of Chicago.
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2327: Neural development
2327: Neural development
Using techniques that took 4 years to design, a team of developmental biologists showed that certain proteins can direct the subdivision of fruit fly and chicken nervous system tissue into the regions depicted here in blue, green, and red. Molecules called bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) helped form this fruit fly embryo. While scientists knew that BMPs play a major role earlier in embryonic development, they didn't know how the proteins help organize nervous tissue. The findings suggest that BMPs are part of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for organizing the nervous system. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also supported this work.
Mieko Mizutani and Ethan Bier, University of California, San Diego, and Henk Roelink, University of Washington
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6969: Snowflake yeast 1
6969: Snowflake yeast 1
Multicellular yeast called snowflake yeast that researchers created through many generations of directed evolution from unicellular yeast. Stained cell membranes (green) and cell walls (red) reveal the connections between cells. Younger cells take up more cell membrane stain, while older cells take up more cell wall stain, leading to the color differences seen here. This image was captured using spinning disk confocal microscopy.
Related to images 6970 and 6971.
Related to images 6970 and 6971.
William Ratcliff, Georgia Institute of Technology.
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3414: X-ray co-crystal structure of Src kinase bound to a DNA-templated macrocycle inhibitor 2
3414: X-ray co-crystal structure of Src kinase bound to a DNA-templated macrocycle inhibitor 2
X-ray co-crystal structure of Src kinase bound to a DNA-templated macrocycle inhibitor. Related to 3413, 3415, 3416, 3417, 3418, and 3419.
Markus A. Seeliger, Stony Brook University Medical School and David R. Liu, Harvard University
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6344: Drosophila
6344: Drosophila
Two adult fruit flies (Drosophila)
Dr. Vicki Losick, MDI Biological Laboratory, www.mdibl.org
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2513: Life of an AIDS virus
2513: Life of an AIDS virus
HIV is a retrovirus, a type of virus that carries its genetic material not as DNA but as RNA. Long before anyone had heard of HIV, researchers in labs all over the world studied retroviruses, tracing out their life cycle and identifying the key proteins the viruses use to infect cells. When HIV was identified as a retrovirus, these studies gave AIDS researchers an immediate jump-start. The previously identified viral proteins became initial drug targets. See images 2514 and 2515 for labeled versions of this illustration. Featured in The Structures of Life.
Crabtree + Company
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2795: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 02
2795: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 02
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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3611: Tiny strands of tubulin, a protein in a cell's skeleton
3611: Tiny strands of tubulin, a protein in a cell's skeleton
Just as our bodies rely on bones for structural support, our cells rely on a cellular skeleton. In addition to helping cells keep their shape, this cytoskeleton transports material within cells and coordinates cell division. One component of the cytoskeleton is a protein called tubulin, shown here as thin strands.
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.
Pakorn Kanchanawong, National University of Singapore and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health; and Clare Waterman, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
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5888: Independence Day
5888: Independence Day
This graphic that resembles a firework was created from a picture of a fruit fly spermatid. This fruit fly spermatid recycles various molecules, including malformed or damaged proteins. Actin filaments (red) in the cell draw unwanted proteins toward a barrel-shaped structure called the proteasome (green clusters), which degrades the molecules into their basic parts for re-use.
Sigi Benjamin-Hong, Rockefeller University
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5815: Introduction to Genome Editing Using CRISPR/Cas9
5815: Introduction to Genome Editing Using CRISPR/Cas9
Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 is a rapidly expanding field of scientific research with emerging applications in disease treatment, medical therapeutics and bioenergy, just to name a few. This technology is now being used in laboratories all over the world to enhance our understanding of how living biological systems work, how to improve treatments for genetic diseases and how to develop energy solutions for a better future.
Janet Iwasa
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3331: mDia1 antibody staining- 02
3331: mDia1 antibody staining- 02
Cells move forward with lamellipodia and filopodia supported by networks and bundles of actin filaments. Proper, controlled cell movement is a complex process. Recent research has shown that an actin-polymerizing factor called the Arp2/3 complex is the key component of the actin polymerization engine that drives amoeboid cell motility. ARPC3, a component of the Arp2/3 complex, plays a critical role in actin nucleation. In this photo, the ARPC3-/- fibroblast cells were fixed and stained with Alexa 546 phalloidin for F-actin (red), mDia1 (green), and DAPI to visualize the nucleus (blue). In ARPC3-/- fibroblast cells, mDia1 is localized at the tips of the filopodia-like structures. Related to images 3328, 3329, 3330, 3332, and 3333.
Rong Li and Praveen Suraneni, Stowers Institute for Medical Research
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6582: Group of fluorescent C. elegans showing muscle and ribosomal protein
6582: Group of fluorescent C. elegans showing muscle and ribosomal protein
Three C. elegans, tiny roundworms, with a ribosomal protein glowing red and muscle fibers glowing green. Researchers used these worms to study a molecular pathway that affects aging. The ribosomal protein is involved in protein translation and may play a role in dietary restriction-induced longevity. Image created using confocal microscopy.
View single roundworm here 6581.
View closeup of roundworms here 6583.
View single roundworm here 6581.
View closeup of roundworms here 6583.
Jarod Rollins, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.
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6587: Cell-like compartments emerging from scrambled frog eggs
6587: Cell-like compartments emerging from scrambled frog eggs
Cell-like compartments spontaneously emerge from scrambled frog eggs, with nuclei (blue) from frog sperm. Endoplasmic reticulum (red) and microtubules (green) are also visible. 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: 6588, 6589, and 6590.
Xianrui Cheng, Stanford University School of Medicine.
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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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2473: Glowing glycans
2473: Glowing glycans
Sugars light up the cells in this jaw of a 3-day-old zebrafish embryo and highlight a scientific first: labeling and tracking the movements of sugar chains called glycans in a living organism. Here, recently produced glycans (red) are on the cell surface while those made earlier in development (green) have migrated into the cells. In some areas, old and new glycans mingle (yellow). A better understanding of such traffic patterns could shed light on how organisms develop and may uncover markers for disease, such as cancer. Featured in the May 21, 2008 of Biomedical Beat.
Carolyn Bertozzi, University of California, Berkeley
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1270: Glycoproteins
1270: Glycoproteins
About half of all human proteins include chains of sugar molecules that are critical for the proteins to function properly. Appears in the NIGMS booklet Inside the Cell.
Judith Stoffer
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1120: Superconducting magnet
1120: Superconducting magnet
Superconducting magnet for NMR research, from the February 2003 profile of Dorothee Kern in Findings.
Mike Lovett
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2315: Fly cells live
2315: Fly cells live
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a movie worth? For researchers studying cell migration, a "documentary" of fruit fly cells (bright green) traversing an egg chamber could answer longstanding questions about cell movement. Historically, researchers have been unable to watch this cell migration unfold in living ovarian tissue in real time. But by developing a culture medium that allows fly eggs to survive outside their ovarian homes, scientists can observe the nuances of cell migration as it happens. Such details may shed light on how immune cells move to a wound and why cancer cells spread to other sites. See 3594 for still image.
Denise Montell, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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3732: A molecular interaction network in yeast 2
3732: A molecular interaction network in yeast 2
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 3730 and 3733.
Keiichiro Ono, UCSD
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2555: RNA strand (with labels)
2555: RNA strand (with labels)
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) has a sugar-phosphate backbone and the bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U). Featured in The New Genetics.
See image 2554 for an unlabeled version of this illustration.
See image 2554 for an unlabeled version of this illustration.
Crabtree + Company
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1282: Lysosomes
1282: Lysosomes
Lysosomes have powerful enzymes and acids to digest and recycle cell materials.
Judith Stoffer
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6548: Partial Model of a Cilium’s Doublet Microtubule
6548: Partial Model of a Cilium’s Doublet Microtubule
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 image is a partial model of a doublet microtubule’s structure based on cryo-electron microscopy images. Video can be found here 6549.
Brown Lab, Harvard Medical School and Veronica Falconieri Hays.
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6769: Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larva
6769: Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larva
A mosquito larva with genes edited by CRISPR. The red-orange glow is a fluorescent protein used to track the edits. This species of mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, can transmit West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and avian malaria, among other diseases. The researchers who took this image developed a gene-editing toolkit for Culex quinquefasciatus that could ultimately help stop the mosquitoes from spreading pathogens. The work is described in the Nature Communications paper "Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis towards gene drive development in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes" by Feng et al. Related to image 6770 and video 6771.
Valentino Gantz, University of California, San Diego.
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6581: Fluorescent C. elegans showing muscle and ribosomal protein
6581: Fluorescent C. elegans showing muscle and ribosomal protein
C. elegans, a tiny roundworm, with a ribosomal protein glowing red and muscle fibers glowing green. Researchers used these worms to study a molecular pathway that affects aging. The ribosomal protein is involved in protein translation and may play a role in dietary restriction-induced longevity. Image created using confocal microscopy.
View group of roundworms here 6582.
View closeup of roundworms here 6583.
View group of roundworms here 6582.
View closeup of roundworms here 6583.
Jarod Rollins, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.
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6532: Mosaicism in C. elegans (Black Background)
6532: Mosaicism in C. elegans (Black Background)
In the worm C. elegans, double-stranded RNA made in neurons can silence matching genes in a variety of cell types through the transport of RNA between cells. The head region of three worms that were genetically modified to express a fluorescent protein were imaged and the images were color-coded based on depth. The worm on the left lacks neuronal double-stranded RNA and thus every cell is fluorescent. In the middle worm, the expression of the fluorescent protein is silenced by neuronal double-stranded RNA and thus most cells are not fluorescent. The worm on the right lacks an enzyme that amplifies RNA for silencing. Surprisingly, the identities of the cells that depend on this enzyme for gene silencing are unpredictable. As a result, worms of identical genotype are nevertheless random mosaics for how the function of gene silencing is carried out. For more, see journal article and press release. Related to image 6534.
Snusha Ravikumar, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, and Antony M. Jose, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park
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5875: Bacteriophage P22 capsid, detail
5875: Bacteriophage P22 capsid, detail
Detail of a subunit of the capsid, or outer cover, of bacteriophage P22, a virus that infects the Salmonella bacteria. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was used to capture details of the capsid proteins, each shown here in a separate color. Thousands of cryo-EM scans capture the structure and shape of all the individual proteins in the capsid and their position relative to other proteins. A computer model combines these scans into the image shown here. Related to image 5874.
Dr. Wah Chiu, Baylor College of Medicine
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1339: Egg comparison
1339: Egg comparison
The largest human cell (by volume) is the egg. Human eggs are 150 micrometers in diameter and you can just barely see one with a naked eye. In comparison, consider the eggs of chickens...or ostriches!
Judith Stoffer
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3740: Transmission electron microscopy showing cross-section of the node of Ranvier
3740: Transmission electron microscopy showing cross-section of the node of Ranvier
Nodes of Ranvier are short gaps in the myelin sheath surrounding myelinated nerve cells (axons). Myelin insulates axons, and the node of Ranvier is where the axon is exposed to the extracellular environment, allowing for the transmission of action potentials at these nodes via ion flows between the inside and outside of the axon. The image shows a cross-section through the node, with the surrounding extracellular matrix encasing and supporting the axon shown in cyan.
Tom Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR)
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2567: Haplotypes (with labels)
2567: Haplotypes (with labels)
Haplotypes are combinations of gene variants that are likely to be inherited together within the same chromosomal region. In this example, an original haplotype (top) evolved over time to create three newer haplotypes that each differ by a few nucleotides (red). See image 2566 for an unlabeled version of this illustration. Featured in The New Genetics.
Crabtree + Company
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1276: Folding@Home
1276: Folding@Home
Stanford University scientist Vijay Pande decided to couple the power of computers with the help of the public. He initiated a project called Folding@Home, a so-called distributed computing project in which anyone who wants to can download a screensaver that performs protein-folding calculations when a computer is not in use. Folding@Home is modeled on a similar project called SETI@Home, which is used to search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Judith Stoffer
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6614: Los ritmos circadianos y el núcleo supraquiasmático
6614: Los ritmos circadianos y el núcleo supraquiasmático
Los ritmos circadianos son cambios físicos, mentales y de comportamiento que siguen un ciclo de 24 horas. Los ritmos circadianos se ven influenciados por la luz y están regulados por el núcleo supraquiasmático del cerebro, a veces denominado el reloj principal.
Vea 6613 para la versión en inglés de esta infografía.
Vea 6613 para la versión en inglés de esta infografía.
NIGMS
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3607: Fruit fly ovary
3607: Fruit fly ovary
A fruit fly ovary, shown here, contains as many as 20 eggs. Fruit flies are not merely tiny insects that buzz around overripe fruit—they are a venerable scientific tool. Research on the flies has shed light on many aspects of human biology, including biological rhythms, learning, memory, and neurodegenerative diseases. Another reason fruit flies are so useful in a lab (and so successful in fruit bowls) is that they reproduce rapidly. About three generations can be studied in a single month.
Related to image 3656. This image was part of the Life: Magnified exhibit that ran from June 3, 2014, to January 21, 2015, at Dulles International Airport.
Related to image 3656. This image was part of the Life: Magnified exhibit that ran from June 3, 2014, to January 21, 2015, at Dulles International Airport.
Denise Montell, Johns Hopkins University and University of California, Santa Barbara
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6602: See how immune cell acid destroys bacterial proteins
6602: See how immune cell acid destroys bacterial proteins
This animation shows the effect of exposure to hypochlorous acid, which is found in certain types of immune cells, on bacterial proteins. The proteins unfold and stick to one another, leading to cell death.
American Chemistry Council
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2537: G switch (with labels)
2537: G switch (with labels)
The G switch allows our bodies to respond rapidly to hormones. G proteins act like relay batons to pass messages from circulating hormones into cells. A hormone (red) encounters a receptor (blue) in the membrane of a cell. Next, a G protein (green) becomes activated and makes contact with the receptor to which the hormone is attached. Finally, the G protein passes the hormone's message to the cell by switching on a cell enzyme (purple) that triggers a response. See image 2536 and 2538 for other versions of this image. Featured in Medicines By Design.
Crabtree + Company
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2547: Central dogma, illustrated
2547: Central dogma, illustrated
DNA encodes RNA, which encodes protein. DNA is transcribed to make messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA sequence (dark red strand) is complementary to the DNA sequence (blue strand). On ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA) reads three nucleotides at a time in mRNA to bring together the amino acids that link up to make a protein. See image 2548 for a labeled version of this illustration and 2549 for a labeled and numbered version. Featured in The New Genetics.
Crabtree + Company
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1292: Smooth ER
1292: Smooth ER
The endoplasmic reticulum comes in two types: Rough ER is covered with ribosomes and prepares newly made proteins; smooth ER specializes in making lipids and breaking down toxic molecules.
Judith Stoffer
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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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2388: Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 from C. elegans
2388: Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 from C. elegans
Solution NMR structure of protein target WR41 (left) from C. elegans. Noting the unanticipated structural similarity to the ubiquitin protein (Ub) found in all eukaryotic cells, researchers discovered that WR41 is a Ub-like modifier, ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (Ufm1), on a newly uncovered ubiquitin-like pathway. Subsequently, the PSI group also determined the three-dimensional structure of protein target HR41 (right) from humans, the E2 ligase for Ufm1, using both NMR and X-ray crystallography.
Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium
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3647: Epithelial cells
3647: Epithelial cells
This image mostly shows normal cultured epithelial cells expressing green fluorescent protein targeted to the Golgi apparatus (yellow-green) and stained for actin (magenta) and DNA (cyan). The middle cell is an abnormal large multinucleated cell. All the cells in this image have a Golgi but not all are expressing the targeted recombinant fluorescent protein.
Tom Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR)
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5757: Pigment cells in the fin of pearl danio
5757: Pigment cells in the fin of pearl danio
Pigment cells are cells that give skin its color. In fishes and amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, pigment cells are responsible for the characteristic skin patterns that help these organisms to blend into their surroundings or attract mates. The pigment cells are derived from neural crest cells, which are cells originating from the neural tube in the early embryo. This image shows pigment cells in the fin of pearl danio, a close relative of the popular laboratory animal zebrafish. Investigating pigment cell formation and migration in animals helps answer important fundamental questions about the factors that control pigmentation in the skin of animals, including humans. Related to images 5754, 5755, 5756 and 5758.
David Parichy, University of Washington
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3477: HIV Capsid
3477: HIV Capsid
This image is a computer-generated model of the approximately 4.2 million atoms of the HIV capsid, the shell that contains the virus' genetic material. Scientists determined the exact structure of the capsid and the proteins that it's made of using a variety of imaging techniques and analyses. They then entered these data into a supercomputer that produced the atomic-level image of the capsid. This structural information could be used for developing drugs that target the capsid, possibly leading to more effective therapies. Related to image 6601.
Juan R. Perilla and the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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2319: Mapping metabolic activity
2319: Mapping metabolic activity
Like a map showing heavily traveled roads, this mathematical model of metabolic activity inside an E. coli cell shows the busiest pathway in white. Reaction pathways used less frequently by the cell are marked in red (moderate activity) and green (even less activity). Visualizations like this one may help scientists identify drug targets that block key metabolic pathways in bacteria.
Albert-László Barabási, University of Notre Dame
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2418: Genetic imprinting in Arabidopsis
2418: Genetic imprinting in Arabidopsis
This delicate, birdlike projection is an immature seed of the Arabidopsis plant. The part in blue shows the cell that gives rise to the endosperm, the tissue that nourishes the embryo. The cell is expressing only the maternal copy of a gene called MEDEA. This phenomenon, in which the activity of a gene can depend on the parent that contributed it, is called genetic imprinting. In Arabidopsis, the maternal copy of MEDEA makes a protein that keeps the paternal copy silent and reduces the size of the endosperm. In flowering plants and mammals, this sort of genetic imprinting is thought to be a way for the mother to protect herself by limiting the resources she gives to any one embryo. Featured in the May 16, 2006, issue of Biomedical Beat.
Robert Fischer, University of California, Berkeley
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6964: Crawling cell
6964: Crawling cell
A crawling cell with DNA shown in blue and actin filaments, which are a major component of the cytoskeleton, visible in pink. Actin filaments help enable cells to crawl. This image was captured using structured illumination microscopy.
Dylan T. Burnette, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
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5793: Mouse retina
5793: Mouse retina
What looks like the gossamer wings of a butterfly is actually the retina of a mouse, delicately snipped to lay flat and sparkling with fluorescent molecules. The image is from a research project investigating the promise of gene therapy for glaucoma. It was created at an NIGMS-funded advanced microscopy facility that develops technology for imaging across many scales, from whole organisms to cells to individual molecules.
The ability to obtain high-resolution imaging of tissue as large as whole mouse retinas was made possible by a technique called large-scale mosaic confocal microscopy, which was pioneered by the NIGMS-funded National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research. The technique is similar to Google Earth in that it computationally stitches together many small, high-resolution images.
The ability to obtain high-resolution imaging of tissue as large as whole mouse retinas was made possible by a technique called large-scale mosaic confocal microscopy, which was pioneered by the NIGMS-funded National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research. The technique is similar to Google Earth in that it computationally stitches together many small, high-resolution images.
Tom Deerinck and Keunyoung (“Christine”) Kim, NCMIR
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2796: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 03
2796: Anti-tumor drug ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743), structure without hydrogens 03
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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3603: Salivary gland in the developing fruit fly
3603: Salivary gland in the developing fruit fly
For fruit flies, the salivary gland is used to secrete materials for making the pupal case, the protective enclosure in which a larva transforms into an adult fly. For scientists, this gland provided one of the earliest glimpses into the genetic differences between individuals within a species. Chromosomes in the cells of these salivary glands replicate thousands of times without dividing, becoming so huge that scientists can easily view them under a microscope and see differences in genetic content between individuals.
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.
Richard Fehon, University of Chicago
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