Easy Cell

Improving technology gives scientists new ways to answer questions they’ve been asking for decades. Microscopy has come a long way since Robert Hooke first took a magnified peek at a piece of cork, describing its repeating structures as “cells”. One cutting edge technique, light sheet fluorescence microscopy uses gentle patterns of laser light to illuminate tiny details inside living cells. Here we watch the motion of individual bone-like fibres (highlighted in orange and blue) in the cytoskeleton of human retinal cells. Advances in technology often come with advancing cost. But the newly-developed light sheet microscope which took this video aims to change that – by choosing cost-effective components and using open-source technology. These design priorities give scientific groups worldwide access to advanced technology, meaning the answers to scientific questions are available to everyone who has an idea where to look.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by John Haug and colleagues
• Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, February 2026