Super Res Microscopy

ALT Leroy Versteeg Trypanosoma cruzi – The Silent Killer This image shows the final moments of a mouse cardiac fibroblast infected with dozens of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. T. cruzi is a protozoan parasite that can cause Chagas disease in humans. When the flagellated parasite enters a fibroblast, it discards its flagella and multiplies in the cytoplasm of the cell. Once the fibroblast is completely filled with parasites, which typically takes 4-5 days, the parasites grow back their flagella and start swimming around in the cytoplasm of the fibroblast. The mechanical force of these movements ruptures the fibroblast’s cell membrane and the parasites escape. This whole process then repeats itself and more cells and tissues get infected. In this image, the cardiac fibroblast’s cell membrane was stained Cyan and the nuclei of the cardiac fibroblast as well as the T. cruzi parasites were stained Blue. The cell bodies of the T. cr

ALT Kristen Engevik Googly Eyes: putting the fun in fundamental Immunofluorescence staining of mouse intestinal organoids, highlighting the apical brush border (yellow) and nuclei (blue). Intestinal organoids are often called mini-guts, as they closely resemble intestinal tissue in the cell types and functions while also can be grown in a dish. Organoids provide a reductionist model to better understand the intestine (and other organs) in health and disease. Googly eyes added for fun.