Tool uses artificial intelligence to visualize cell interiors

Scientists have developed a tool that uses artificial intelligence to visualize structures within a cell, even if it only has images of its exterior. Allen Integrated Cell, available for free online, creates 3D images that can help researchers better understand the development of a disease.

This tool focuses on stem cells, those that have not yet differentiated to give rise to a particular tissue. According to Greg Johnson, an Allen Institute scientist, if we better understand the inner workings of a healthy cell, we can understand what is wrong with a cancer cell, for example; "This allows us to go back in time and observe the evolution of the disease, and thus enable the diagnosis at an early stage, " he adds.

First, scientists created cells whose internal structures (such as mitochondria) glow. Then they took thousands of photos and inserted them into a machine that developed an algorithm that could predict the shape and location of each structure in any cell.

There are other ways to study these tiny units. The simplest and cheapest type is brightfield microscopy, which, according to Johnson, is like looking at pond water through a microscope; You get a very bright image with some dark dots, which are internal structures. There are not many details, which makes it difficult to understand the complexity of the cell. Other methods involve dyeing the organelles, but the cost is high, and they deteriorate rapidly.

Therefore, creating this new imaging method is important because it will allow researchers to study them more effectively and cheaply. Johnson says, "This means that we can produce many images and observe the dynamics of organelles over a long period, which was not possible before."

Tool uses artificial intelligence to visualize cell interiors via TecMundo