Seeing Cell Division Like Never Before

Using a combination of fluorescent microscopy and cutting-edge cryo-electron tomography, researchers in the labs of Luke Chao and Tom Bernhardt in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School have provided never-before-seen views of double-membraned bacteria as they divide.

The work offers new insights into the division process and may aid in the fight against antibiotic resistance, since these drugs typically target bacteria as they divide, when the cell wall and membranes are weakest.

Led by postdoctoral research fellows Paula Navarro and Andrea Vettiger, the two groups made the discoveries possible by combining their expertise in bacterial cell division, bacterial genetics, and cutting-edge imaging.

Results were published Sept. 12 in Nature Microbiology.

[Epiousios]

Not gonna lie, kinda happy that Youtube felt the need to recommend this to me so early. Fascinating video.

[thepaintingbanjo]

The fact technology has gotten so sophisticated enough to render something as miniscule as the inner workings of cell division, in a 3D plane, is blowing my mind.

[francischeefilms]

As an ex EM microscopist who did lots of cryo, I know what was involved and this is tricky stuff to get right, with a lot of good spec prep technique required, great work

[micahconnor]

This is incredible! It's also weird how my brain associates black and white imaging and pixelated stuff with low quality, and yet this is focusing onto more detail than I could imagine! The fact that we can see the individual holes forming on cells is just amazing

[Jenny-tufc]

I'm in AP Biology right now and found this video in my recommended. My bio teacher is always telling us that the information we're learning now could be completely different in the future, and it's fascinating to watch significant scientific developments happen as a complete biology noob. Awesome video! :D

[R...T]

I can't wait to see this in our textbooks

[KenDBerryMD]

Fascinating! Knowledge gleaned from further study of this could be very useful...

[momentomoriwrath]

i never thought about seeing three dimensional cell division, mind blowing

[crackingneet]

It's so interesting to see cells under microscope.

[AriaHarmony]

Wow this is amazing! Is this the actual speed of the division? I know microscopic life is usually the example of multiplying really fast, but this looks insane, the way it's so smooth is both beautiful and terrifying.

[madanomaly]

Awesome research! Glad that world have people interested in moving further the progress and allow all humanity have access to it.
Thanks for sharing!

[Hamzurger]

This is really weird but at the same time amazing because of the way it looks so seamless, I hope YouTube sends us more of these vids in our recommended videos. Keep up the good work scientists and thanks for a better future!

[laratheplanespotter]

Cell membranes are incredible and gets me so excited. I just think all things cell membranes, how ATP supports life and how mitochondria used to be bacteria that our bodies evolved to decide ‘I like you, I like what you could do for me, want to come inside?’ And the protein channels etc. it’s all just so fascinating and exciting.

[inderdhami]

It is crucial to identify such phases via these sort of model organisms, because the diversity starts at very molecular level and how each molecule contributes to those post translational changes are significant in drug development...this is fascinating work to know that how actually things are happening at that minute scale just now! Amazing work. This paper is going to be a huge success

[RythmGkwd]

This is amazing beyond words !
I had always seen cells in books but seeing them like this is astonishing

[andylau]

it curious that, after division, the cells produced from the same mother cell are still tight with each other when sliding on each other.

[justthatnoodle]

youtube recommending me random bio videos is always my favorite part of the day

[averyoldYoutubeuser]

Studied biology major years ago, now I left but always fascinating to see news and discoveries in this field

[gugalaxy]

This is just awesome, main reason why I want to study microbiology.

[BookOfMorman]

Thank God this was recommended to me! I can now finish my world changing research!