Light-based scans reveal how cells can be stable yet adaptable

Light-based technique reveals coordinated protein patterns in living cells

All living things are made of cells, and the molecular machinery within them is imperative to survival. Different biomolecules, including RNA, proteins and more, have specialized roles and perform a range of functions.

Light-based scans reveal how cells can be stable yet adaptable

Our cells adjust to ever-changing conditions while preserving internal states necessary for survival, but exactly how they achieve both adaptability and stability remains unclear. For the first time, researchers have used a light-based technique called Raman spectroscopy to create snapshots of the entire protein landscape inside an E. coli cell in a nondestructive manner.