The Biophysical Society's Annual Art of Science Image Contest took place this year during the 66th Annual Meeting in San Diego. The second place winning image was submitted by Alexa Price, a research technician in the Caporizzo Lab at the University of Vermont. Price took some time to provide information about the image and the science it represents.
How did you compose this image?
This image is a tilescan of live, cultured cardiac stem cells (IPS-CMs) stained with SPY Tubulin 555 (blue), SPY Fast-Act 650 (red), and Hoechst (grey). I acquired this image using our ZEISS LSM 980 with Airyscan2 and stitched and deconvolved it in ZEN Blue. The myocytes were treated with a myosin inhibitor 2.3-Butanedione monoxime to stop spontaneous beating for the image acquisition.
What do you love about this image?
One of the first things that jumps out at you in this image is how crisp the microtubules and sarcomeres are and that they are seemingly connected despite belonging to different cells. This is where we got the inspiration for the title “Connected Through Our Heartstrings”. It is particularly incredible that these structures belong to more than a dozen different cells in this image and yet appear to form a continuous network. If we added a membrane marker, the division between cells would be discreet and clear, however when visualizing the cytoskeleton of these cardiomyocytes there are no apparent divisions. This mechanical connectivity is the very basis by which cardiomyocytes synchronize their contractile function which is essential to the performance of the heart. This image is incredible to me because even though these are immature cardiomyocytes, their randomly oriented contractile network appears unbroken.
What do you want viewers to see/think when they view this image?
I would really like viewers to appreciate the interconnectivity of the cardiac cytoskeleton. I feel the cliché “Connected Through Our Heartstrings” can be taken quite literally when looking at this image.
How does this image reflect your scientific research?
Our research utilizes cardiac stem cells to understand how the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the failing heart influences the structure and function of the cardiomyocyte cytoskeleton. Specifically, both the organization and contractile performance of these cardiomyocytes can be controlled by the mechanical and compositional properties of the ECM. We find that the cardiac ECM influences the alignment and contractile performance of these cells. This image shows IPS cells adopting a random orientation when plated on glass, whereas the cells align in one direction when plated onto cardiac ECM.
Can you please provide a few real-world examples of your research?
We are investigating how the ECM in heart failure directs healthy cardiac stem cells to take on a diseased phenotype. What we learn from these “engineered heart tissues” enables us to identify the molecular mechanisms by which the ECM influences cellular function. By identifying the role played by the matrix specifically in stiffening the failing heart, we are working to design new therapies that reverse cardiac stiffening.
How might your research be relevant to those who are not working in your specific field?
The actin and microtubule cytoskeleton plays a critical role in regulating the mechanical performance of all cell types. Thus, these probes and techniques are broadly applicable to many fields of research.
Do you have a website where our readers can view your recent research?
If you’d like to know more about how we acquired this image, or want to see cool images of the heart, check out our lab website or find us at the University of Vermont in beautiful Burlington, VT!