Microscopic image of a single cell artificially colored, laying...

Microscopic image of a single cell artificially colored, laying on billions of nanoholes.

Credit: 2018 EPFL

EPFL researchers have developed an innovative label-free method for studying the behavior of single cells continuously and in real time. By placing a cell in a small chamber containing nanosensors and observing it over many hours, it is possible to identify the cell’s unique personality and understand how it communicates. This powerful new technology could be used to select the most aggressive cells to combat an enemy. Potential applications include treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.

h/t Phys.org: Cell chat: Attacking disease by learning the language of cells