A closer look at cells

Many substances and nutrients are exchanged across the cell membrane. Scientists have developed a method to observe these exchanges, by taking a highly accurate count of the number of proteins found there. Proteins on the cell surface play an essential role in the survival of the cell. They govern the exchanges between the interior and the exterior. Now, EPFL scientists have found a way to observe them in action. They have developed a method based on fluorescence microscopy that gives them a very precise image of the composition of the membrane and the exchanges taking place there. "It is important to study the membrane because it is an exchange platform between the cell and its environment," explains Aleksandra Radenovic, Professor in the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology and one of the study's authors.