A research project under the direction of LabStudio (Jenny Sabin & Peter Lloyd Jones)By Jeff S Nesbit, Shuni Feng, Joshua Freese;
work shown by JSNesbit
Coordinated endothelial cell networking, a component of angiogenesis, is required to form and refine the exquisite fractal network that emerges in the developing and mature lung to facilitate efficient gas exchange from birth onwards. Real-time imaging of endothelial cells cultured within a specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment, designated the basement membrane, and formed the basis of this project. The angiogenic networking behavior of lung mesenchymal cells, designated RFL-6 or MFLM-4 cells, which have ability to transform into networking endothelial cells in response to basement membrane proteins was evaluated in contrasting conditions: with or without Prx-1, a gene that enhances networking. When Prx-1 is absent, cells formed clustered on basement membrane material. On the other hand, when Prx-1 was present, cells formed branched networks on this matrix. These formations are also influenced by the flow paths or topological geometries found within the underlying ECM. Thus, the roles played by Prx-1 (code) and the ECM (environment) are highly influential in creating these network morphologies by endothelial cells (components).
The following is sampled from 32 different stages of cell networking behavior tests with the Prx-1 gene switched on (both digital and 3d printed):
Posts
SicK. Are you drafting 2D drawings of these?
ReplyDeleteYes I have... I can post those once I get them cleaned up.
ReplyDeleteThis collaboration was amazing to be apart of. Now I am a research assistant under LabStudio to continue working on ideas similar to this one. The brilliance of the project is the idea. Yes, we create beautiful products but its what they represent that is important. This work is geared to understand cell networking patterns. This lung cell biology research has been going on well over a decade but never has it been investigated within a 3D environment, which they live in. Before the biologist was restricted to observe 2D plates or more importantly 2D slices of volume. Non-the-less, still 2D investigation could not provide enough information to extract. This models are being used to further understand how cancerous or not cells cluster and respond to one another.
bitchin' - does this fall into scientific illustration? what software are you using for the modeling? how do you start this procedure or procuring the geometry?
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