Bioimaging – JPhys+

DNA-strand breaks within a gelatin tissue model after treatment with a neutral He gas jet. Image taken from Endre J Szili et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 274001, © IOP Publishing, All Rights Reserved.

Image of the Week: DNA-strand breaks within tissue model after treatment with neutral He gas jet

By Dean Williams on June 26, 2017

This week’s image is taken from the recent Emerging Leaders article by Endre J Szili, Nishtha Gaur, et al. It shows DNA-strand breaks within a gelatin tissue model after treatment with a neutral He gas jet. The figure is an overlay of phase-contrast… Read More ›

A representative Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) image of an F-actin structure, taken from B Christoffer Lagerholm et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 063001, © IOP Publishing, All Rights Reserved.

Image of the Week: Super-resolution Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) image of F-actin structure

By Dean Williams on January 16, 2017

This week’s Image of the Week is a representative Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) image of an F-actin structure, taken from a recent Topical Review in JPhysD: “Convergence of lateral dynamic measurements in the plasma membrane of live cells from single… Read More ›

Schematization of the electronic structure of perylene and graphene and the arrangements of the components in the hybrid structure. The spatial separation between the graphene crystal and the perylene molecules is also indicated (d). Note that perylene and graphene are coupled via near-field electromagnetic interaction and the electronic wave functions are separated by the insulating PMMA layer.

Spectacularly long range energy transfer to graphene

By Dean Williams on August 2, 2016

Can graphene be used as a nanoscopic ruler over a wide range of distances?

Illustration of the four major deformation classes contributing to membrane fluctuations: bending, membrane area change/stretching, membrane thickness change, and shearing. Bending is the dominant deformation in case of simple lipid bilayers. Stretching generates a high energetic cost. Thickness changes are particularly relevant in the presence of membrane proteins and heterogeneous membrane composition. Fluid membranes are, by definition, unable to support shear deformations, but for a membrane coupled to an external scaffold structure such as the cytoskeleton, shear deformations need to be considered.

Shape fluctuations in biomembranes: the physics and the biology

By Dean Williams on July 6, 2016

Novel physics-based experimental techniques and concepts from statistical mechanics may help understand why living cells use up precious energy to constantly ‘jiggle’ and ‘twitch’ their membranes.

RNA labelling techniques: (a) FRET. (b) Fluorophore & quencher. (c) FIT-PNA. (d) Sticky-flare. (e) Molecular beacon probe. (f) Wavelength-shifting molecular beacon. (g) Dual molecular beacon FRET probes. (h) MS2 system. (i) Spinach aptamer (D: Doner of FRET pair; A: Accpetor of FRET pair; Q: Quencher; TO: Thiazole Orange; DFHBI: 3,5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolinone.).

Image of the Week: RNA labelling for tracking single mRNA molecules in live cells

By Dean Williams on June 27, 2016

This week, our Image of the Week comes from a recent Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics Topical Review studying the state-of-the-art techniques which are transforming the understanding of mRNA in living cells. Organic dyes and fluorescent proteins are used… Read More ›