This image shows a single cell called a fibroblast. This type of cell is involved in wound healing. Fibroblasts contain flexible filaments made of vimentin, a protein which helps cells change shape and move. Researchers study these filaments and their movement to understand how they work in our cells. The microscopic filaments inside the cell are revealed by staining them with fluorescent dye. This dye glows when exposed to laser light. Then a picture is taken with a special microscope. In this image, thick bundles of filaments appear in bright yellow, while individual filaments at the edge of the cell appear in violet.

Jennifer Davis

Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

Structured Illumination Microscope + colored in ImageJ