Researchers Visualize Osmotic Pressures in Living Cells – Life Changer

Researchers Visualize Osmotic Pressures in Living Cells

[ad_1]


Register for free to listen to this article

Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above.

In order to survive, organisms must control the pressure inside them, from the single-cell level to tissues and organs. Measuring these pressures in living cells and tissues in physiological conditions is a challenge.

In research that has its origin at UC Santa Barbara, scientists now at the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) at the Technical University in Dresden (TU Dresden), Germany, report in the journal Nature Communications a new technique to ‘visualize’ these pressures as organisms develop. These measurements can help understand how cells and tissues survive under pressure, and reveal how problems in regulating pressures lead to disease.

When molecules dissolved in water are separated into different compartments, water has the tendency to flow from one compartment to another to equilibrate their concentrations, a process known as osmosis. If some molecules cannot cross the membrane that separates them, a pressure imbalance — osmotic pressure — builds up between compartments. This principle is the basis for many technical applications, such as the desalination of seawater or the development of moisturizing creams. It turns out that maintaining a healthy functioning organism makes the list, too.

Want more breaking news?

Subscribe to Technology Networks’ daily newsletter, delivering breaking science news straight to your inbox every day.

Subscribe for FREE

Our cells are constantly moving molecules in and out to prevent the pressure build-up from crushing them. To do so, they use molecular pumps that allow them to keep the pressure in check. This osmotic pressure affects many aspects of cells’ lives and even sets their size.

When cells team up to build our tissues and organs, they, too, face a pressure problem: Our vascular system, or organs such as the pancreas or liver, contain fluid-filled cavities known as lumens that are essential for their function. If cells fail to control osmotic pressure, these lumens may collapse or explode, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the organ. To understand how cells regulate pressure in these tissues, or how they fail to do so in disease, it is essential to measure and ‘see’ the osmotic pressure in live tissues. But unfortunately, this was not possible.

Until now.

Led by former UCSB professor Otger Campàs, who now holds the Chair of Tissue Dynamics at TU Dresden and is currently the managing director of PoL, the scientists devised a novel technique to measure the osmotic pressure in living cells and tissues by using special droplets known as double emulsions. For this pressure sensor, they introduced a water droplet into an oil droplet that permits water to flow through. When these “double-droplets” were exposed to salt solutions of different concentrations, water flowed in and out of the internal water droplet, changing its volume, until pressures were equilibrated. The researchers showed that the osmotic pressure can be measured by simply checking the droplet size. They then introduced these double-droplets into living cells and tissues using glass microcapillaries to reveal their osmotic pressure.

“It turns out that cells in animal tissues have the same osmotic pressure as plant cells but, unlike plants, they must balance it constantly with their environment to avoid exploding, since they do not have rigid cell walls,” Campàs said.

With this simple concept, this ingenious method now allows scientists to “see” osmotic pressure in a wide range of settings. “We know that several physical processes affect the working of our bodies,” Campàs said. “ In particular, osmotic pressure is known to play a fundamental role in the building of organs during embryogenesis, and also in the maintenance of healthy adult organs. With this new technique, we now can study how osmotic pressure impacts all these processes directly in living tissues.”

Beyond offering insights into the biological processes and physical principles that govern life, this method holds promising industrial and medical applications, including monitoring skin hydration, characterization of creams or foods, and diagnosis of diseases known to have osmotic pressure imbalances, such as cardiovascular diseases or tumors. The patent for this technique is currently being issued by UC Santa Barbara, where Campàs performed his research before joining TU Dresden.

Campàs’s lab previously developed unique techniques to measure the tiny forces that cells create inside tissues and also additional physical properties using minuscule single droplets. Antoine Vian, the lead author of the work and an expert in microfluidics, the technology that enables the generation of double-emulsion droplets, emphasized their key role.

“Double-emulsions are very versatile, with many different applications in science and technology,” he said. “Single droplets can be deformed, but are incompressible and do not allow pressure measurements. In contrast, double emulsion droplets can change size and be used as osmotic pressure sensors. Their use in living systems will surely enable new and exciting discoveries.”

Reference: Vian A, Pochitaloff M, Yen ST, et al. In situ quantification of osmotic pressure within living embryonic tissues. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):7023. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42024-9

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

[ad_2]

Source link

Loading

261 thoughts on “Researchers Visualize Osmotic Pressures in Living Cells

  1. Cel mai prietenos ?i crazy gadget store care i?i va colora experien?a digitala cu emo?ii, stil ?i creativitate iphone 14 pro Ne-am lansat in martie 2013 ?i am adus cu noi „Festivalul Culorilor”

  2. Наша команда искусных исполнителей завершена предоставить вам новаторские приемы, которые не только гарантируют надежную протекцию от мороза, но и дарят вашему домашнему пространству современный вид.
    Мы эксплуатируем с современными средствами, сертифицируя долгосрочный срок эксплуатации и блестящие результаты. Утепление наружных поверхностей – это не только сокращение расходов на подогреве, но и заботливость о экологии. Энергоспасающие технологии, какие мы применяем, способствуют не только своему, но и сохранению экосистемы.
    Самое главное: Утепление фасада цена за 1 м2 у нас открывается всего от 1250 рублей за м²! Это доступное решение, которое сделает ваш домик в реальный тепличный уголок с скромными тратами.
    Наши примеры – это не просто изоляция, это формирование территории, в где всякий элемент показывает ваш собственный образ действия. Мы примем все все ваши просьбы, чтобы преобразить ваш дом еще дополнительно удобным и привлекательным.
    Подробнее на https://www.ppu-prof.ru
    Не откладывайте занятия о своем ларце на потом! Обращайтесь к исполнителям, и мы сделаем ваш помещение не только теплым, но и моднее. Заинтересовались? Подробнее о наших проектах вы можете узнать на нашем сайте. Добро пожаловать в сферу спокойствия и качества.

  3. Наша бригада искусных исполнителей завершена предлагать вам перспективные системы утепления, которые не только предоставят надежную защиту от холодильности, но и подарят вашему жилью трендовый вид.
    Мы функционируем с современными материалами, ассигнуруя постоянный продолжительность использования и замечательные результаты. Утепление облицовки – это не только сокращение расходов на огреве, но и ухаживание о природной среде. Экономичные технологии, какие мы внедряем, способствуют не только своему, но и сохранению природных ресурсов.
    Самое основополагающее: Утепление фасада цена за 1м2 у нас стартует всего от 1250 рублей за кв. м.! Это доступное решение, которое метаморфозирует ваш домик в реальный тепличный местечко с минимальными затратами.
    Наши примеры – это не только утепление, это созидание поля, в где каждый элемент отражает ваш личный стиль. Мы примем в расчет все ваши запросы, чтобы воплотить ваш дом еще дополнительно приятным и привлекательным.
    Подробнее на http://www.ppu-prof.ru
    Не откладывайте заботу о своем обители на потом! Обращайтесь к квалифицированным работникам, и мы сделаем ваш помещение не только уютнее, но и стильнее. Заинтересовались? Подробнее о наших трудах вы можете узнать на интернет-портале. Добро пожаловать в обитель уюта и стандартов.

  4. Wow, incredible weblog layout! How lengthy have you ever been running a blog for?

    you make running a blog glance easy. The overall
    glance of your web site is magnificent, as well as the content
    material! You can see similar here e-commerce

  5. Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with
    SEO? I’m trying to get my site to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results.
    If you know of any please share. Many thanks! I saw similar art here: GSA Verified List

  6. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.

  7. Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this informative article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile.

  8. Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the challenges. It was really informative. Your website is very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

  9. I absolutely love your site.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you create this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own website and want to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thank you!

  10. I blog frequently and I truly appreciate your content. The article has truly peaked my interest. I will take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed too.

  11. I need to to thank you for this good read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to look at new things you post…

  12. Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read articles from other authors and use a little something from other websites.

  13. Right here is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a topic that’s been discussed for a long time. Excellent stuff, just wonderful.

  14. This is the right webpage for anyone who hopes to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a subject which has been discussed for a long time. Excellent stuff, just excellent.

  15. I’m very pleased to uncover this website. I need to to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely loved every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to see new things on your site.

  16. I blog frequently and I really appreciate your content. The article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed too.

  17. Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not fail me as much as this particular one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read through, however I actually thought you’d have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you could fix if you were not too busy searching for attention.

  18. Greetings, I think your website could be having internet browser compatibility issues. When I take a look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, great blog.

  19. I absolutely love your website.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you create this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my very own blog and want to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Cheers!

  20. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be useful to read through articles from other authors and use a little something from their sites.

  21. May I simply just say what a comfort to uncover someone that actually knows what they are discussing on the internet. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular because you most certainly have the gift.

  22. Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.

  23. This is the right webpage for everyone who really wants to find out about this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that’s been written about for ages. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful.

  24. Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Many thanks, However I am having issues with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting the same RSS issues? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanx!!

  25. I blog frequently and I truly thank you for your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your website and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.

  26. An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you need to publish more on this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t speak about these topics. To the next! Many thanks.

  27. Your style is so unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this page.

  28. After checking out a handful of the articles on your web site, I truly like your way of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Take a look at my web site as well and tell me what you think.

  29. I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I found this in my hunt for something relating to this.

  30. I blog often and I really thank you for your information. This great article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to book mark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed too.

  31. A fascinating discussion is worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should write more on this subject matter, it may not be a taboo subject but generally people do not speak about these issues. To the next! Kind regards!

  32. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to come back yet again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.

  33. Hello there, There’s no doubt that your site might be having browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Apart from that, great blog!

  34. Hi there, I do believe your web site could possibly be having internet browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic site.

  35. Howdy! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I’ll forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a great read. Thanks for sharing!

  36. An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who was doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to talk about this topic here on your web site.

  37. A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you need to write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people don’t talk about these issues. To the next! All the best!

  38. You are so awesome! I do not think I have read anything like this before. So wonderful to discover somebody with some original thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality.

  39. Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always useful to read through articles from other writers and practice a little something from other sites.

  40. Right here is the perfect site for anyone who really wants to find out about this topic. You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been written about for decades. Great stuff, just wonderful.

  41. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly happy I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently.

  42. I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something regarding this.

  43. After I initially commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment. There has to be a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks.

  44. Hi there! This post could not be written much better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I am going to send this post to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a great read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  45. You made some good points there. I checked on the net for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.

  46. The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, however I actually believed you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention.

  47. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to revisit yet again since i have saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

  48. Aw, this was an extremely good post. Finding the time and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.

  49. I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this site. I’m hoping to see the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal blog now 😉

  50. Aw, this was a very good post. Spending some time and actual effort to produce a really good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.

  51. An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a friend who had been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact bought me lunch due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to discuss this matter here on your web site.

  52. The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me just as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read through, however I truly believed you would have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you could fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

  53. The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, however I truly believed you would have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you can fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.

  54. Howdy, I do believe your site could be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Apart from that, wonderful site.

  55. Good post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be helpful to read through content from other writers and use a little something from their sites.

  56. Right here is the perfect site for anybody who really wants to find out about this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject that has been written about for years. Excellent stuff, just wonderful.

  57. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Many thanks, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I don’t understand why I cannot join it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS problems? Anyone who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!

  58. No matter what’s happening in your local economy, if currencies are changing value against each other (which they do every day, and often more than once per day) there’s an opportunity to profit from a forex trade.

  59. I blog often and I really appreciate your information. This great article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your site and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.

  60. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my hunt for something regarding this.

  61. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been doing a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me lunch because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this issue here on your site.

  62. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little research on this. And he actually bought me dinner because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this matter here on your web site.

  63. After looking over a handful of the blog posts on your website, I really appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my website as well and tell me what you think.

  64. An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact bought me lunch simply because I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending the time to discuss this topic here on your web site.

  65. The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t disappoint me as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I really thought you’d have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

  66. After looking into a number of the blog articles on your web site, I truly like your technique of writing a blog. I book marked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website too and tell me how you feel.

  67. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after browsing through many of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely pleased I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!

  68. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after looking at some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently.

  69. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read content from other writers and practice a little something from other web sites.

  70. Hi there, There’s no doubt that your web site might be having web browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, great website!

  71. Given its relative newness, the potential impact of the standard is difficult to assess, although it could be very influential to RM/RA practices, given the general lack of universally applicable standards in this regard and the increasing attention to business continuity and contingency planning in regulatory initiatives.

  72. After I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment. There has to be a way you are able to remove me from that service? Cheers.

  73. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I’m hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own blog now 😉

  74. I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I found this during my hunt for something regarding this.

  75. Good blog you have got here.. It’s difficult to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

  76. On the other hand, British government policy in the period before the ejection of the pound sterling from the Exchange Rate Mechanism of the European Monetary System had been widely criticised for providing speculators with a one-way bet.

  77. I blog quite often and I really appreciate your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I’m going to book mark your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.

  78. Mortgage bankers are corporations or individuals that originate mortgage loans, sell them to other traders, service the month-to-month funds, and may act as agents to dispense funds for taxes and insurance coverage.

  79. Whereas prior releases of Windows supported per-file encryption utilizing Encrypting File System, the Enterprise and Final editions of Vista include BitLocker Drive Encryption, which may protect total volumes, notably the working system volume.

  80. All besides the c.10 bore a portrait of Napoleon I, with the denominations beneath 1 lira additionally exhibiting a radiate crown and the higher denominations, a shield representing the varied constituent territories of the Kingdom.

  81. Greetings, I do believe your web site might be having browser compatibility problems. When I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Apart from that, great website!

  82. Many of us have heard financial advisers or 401(k) plan administrators describe an aggressive investment strategy as a good choice for young investors who have time to ride out the ups and downs of the market, while those closer to retirement are encouraged to choose safer, more conservative options.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *