Many of the secrets of cancer and other diseases lie in the cell’s nucleus. But getting way down to that level — to see and investigate the important genetic material housed there — requires creative thinking and extremely powerful imaging techniques.

Vadim Backman and Hao Zhang, nanoscale imaging experts at Northwestern University, have developed a new imaging technology that is the first to see DNA “blink,” or fluoresce.

The tool enables the researchers to study individual biomolecules as well as important global patterns of gene expression, which could yield insights into cancer.

[button link=”http://gizmodo.com/how-astronauts-brains-are-changed-by-spaceflight-1791870482″ color=”custom” size=”medium” stretch=”” type=”flat” shape=”pill” target=”_blank” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”1px” icon=”” icon_divider=”yes” icon_position=”left” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” alignment=”left” class=”” id=””]Read more[/button]timthumb.php_
Image Credit:      Northwestern University

[title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Recent News[/title][recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”zoomin” columns=”3″ number_posts=”120″ offset=”” cat_slug=”News” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”yes” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”30″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/recent_posts]