Modified Microscope Proves Critical to Uncovering Cell-Growth
The article provides information regarding with the current discovery of new evidences showing how the fibrous scaffolding found inside our cells reacts towards obstacles that is present in its environment. This new discovery become possible because the researchers able to use the AFM or atomic force microscope. The said discovery displays a technique in following the growth history of the cell. If this discovery would be proved its validity outside the laboratory, the researchers would one day likely start searching for the clues, while tracking down the trails of spreading cancers, immune cells and other free moving cells that are living inside the human body. According to one of the researchers, their initial reaction while doing this project is that how the cells are being pushed away when they bump with a particular barrier. The researchers suspected that the elongating matrix of filaments in developing actin networks adds more branches in order to counter act the resistance.The article states there that scientists have ideas that actin networks change their growth in response to forces not just chemical signals. This new findings give clarification to that response and give new clues on how the cells stretch, change their shape and move around to the obstacles. The actin also serves as structural support to the cells and to the growth force necessary for particular cellular processes. As for the AFM, atomic force microscope, this type of microscope that is usually used in research has a miniscule, extremely sharp tip that attached to a thin silicon nitride cantilever. In this particular research, the researcher produced a specialized AFM that utilizes two cantilevers and two lasers. With this set up, instead of scanning the surface, the cantilevers would serve as tiny springboards, one to bend as actin that grows beneath it and the other to stay as a reference point close to the floor of the sample chamber. In some experiments, the cantilevers put an initial force to a slurry development of actin filaments. After that, the cantilevers would apply larger force for as long as thirty minutes.
The article thoroughly explained the importance of this atomic force microscope in this research and how this new finding could help in understanding the tendencies of human cells. In the later part of the article, it states there that these findings maybe considered fundamental research findings but in the long run it might be a great help for scientists and engineers in understanding more about the crawling cells and the potential aiding future that could help white cells to work better or ceasing the tumor cells to shift to other parts of the body. Read the original article. http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=105678