Experimental Soft Condensed Matter Group Harvard University, Prof. D. A. Weitz Cool Picture of the Moment

3D rendering (by POV-ray ray-tracing program) of an MDCK cell in a 1 mg/mL collagen type I reconstituted matrix. The diameter of the cell, represented here as a quasi-sphere, is about 25 microns. Fiber diameter is expected to be on the order of 100 nm, while the network mesh size is close to 1 micron. Our purpose in imaging cells in a three-dimensional environment, is to quantify the forces they can exert on the surrounding extracellular matrix fibers.

For more information contact David Vader.

Past cool pictures...