Science Meets Art: INL at MicroTAS 2024 Art in Science Contest
Miguel Xavier participated in the Art in Science Contest during the MicroTAS 2024 conference, held in Montréal, Canada. His image highlighted the beauty and complexity of cancer research through microfluidics and advanced imaging techniques.
The submission depicted multicellular breast cancer spheroids, each derived from a single MCF-7 cell cultured within a hydrogel obtained from decellularised human adipose tissue. The image combined multiple stainings:
Live/dead assay with Calcein-AM and BOBO-3 (green and red),
Nuclei stained with Hoechst 33342 (blue),
F-actin cytoskeleton visualised with phalloidin (orange),
Ki-67 as a marker of cell proliferation (magenta).
The large spheroid at the top even captured a cell undergoing division (anaphase). The MCF-7 cells were recovered from whole blood samples using a microfluidic device (RubyCHIP) that isolates cells based on their size and deformability.
This work is part of the 3DSecret project, which aims to advance microfluidic and single-cell technologies for studying tumour biology and improving precision health. Through this contest entry, Miguel combined science and visual art to communicate how research within 3DSecret contributes to a deeper understanding of tumour heterogeneity and cancer evolution.
