Secret lives of cells – Life sciences

Summary

The video script explores the life sciences, focusing on the cell as the fundamental unit of life. It delves into the Human Cell Atlas project, aiming to map all human cells, and discusses groundbreaking research on cell functions, including DNA reading, energy acquisition, and immune cell behavior. Scientists use advanced technologies like microfluidic chips for single-cell analysis and synchrotron light microscopy to visualize protein structures at the atomic level. This research could revolutionize medicine by uncovering cures for diseases like cancer.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Life Sciences is a broad field that encompasses biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics, focusing on how living organisms function, interact, and affect their surroundings.
• 🧬 The Human Genome Project, completed in 2000, was a significant milestone in mapping all human genes, providing a unique code for our cells.
• 🗺️ The Human Cell Atlas is an ambitious project aiming to map all cell types in the human body, creating a comprehensive catalog and a three-dimensional map of the body's cells.
• 🌟 Cells are complex structures with a lipid membrane, cytoplasm filled with nutrients and proteins, and a nucleus containing DNA with genes that dictate their functions.
• 🧐 Each cell type uses only certain parts of the DNA blueprint, and researchers are working to identify these parts and understand the variety of cell types.
• 🧪 New technologies, such as microfluidic chips, allow scientists to study individual cells and how they use their DNA code, revealing new cell types and functions.
• 🧬 The Human Cell Atlas project has already begun mapping the entire brain of a mouse, which will provide insights into human brain cell types despite its smaller size.
• 🔍 Studying cells individually is crucial for understanding their functions, and researchers are developing techniques to observe and analyze single cells in detail.
• 🔬 The transcription factors, proteins that search through DNA, play a significant role in cell function, and researchers are uncovering how they work at a high level of resolution.
• 🏥 The Human Cell Atlas could have a significant impact on clinical research, providing a reference for understanding diseases and developing treatments.
• 🔬 There are many unknown functions of cells, and researchers are continually uncovering new roles, such as immune cells' involvement in healing wounds and building new blood vessels.

Q & A

What is the field of study that focuses on how living organisms function, interact, and affect their surroundings?

The field of study is called life sciences, which includes biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics.

What is the most basic building block of life that is essential for research in life sciences?

The most basic building block of life is the cell.

What was the major scientific breakthrough in the year 2000 related to human genetics?

The major scientific breakthrough in the year 2000 was the completion of the Human Genome Project, which involved mapping all of the genes in human DNA.

What is the Human Cell Atlas project, and how does it compare to the Genome Project?

The Human Cell Atlas is an ambitious project that aims to generate a comprehensive catalog of all human cell types, including a three-dimensional map showing the types of cells in each organ. It is considered a next step following the Human Genome Project.

How do cells use only certain parts of their DNA blueprints to create unique characteristics?

Each cell type uses only certain parts of the DNA blueprints to create its unique characteristics, but researchers are still discovering which parts these are and how many different cell types exist.

What is the significance of mapping the billions of human cells in the Human Cell Atlas project?

Mapping the billions of human cells can be a tremendous benefit for humanity, potentially aiding in quickly finding cures for new viruses, and serving as a reference for clinical research.

What is a microfluidic chip and how does it help scientists study cells?

A microfluidic chip is a technology that allows scientists to study single cells. It enables researchers to learn how each individual cell uses its DNA code and can reveal new cell types.

What is the role of transcription factors in how a cell functions?

Transcription factors are proteins that search through all of the DNA to find relevant parts the cell needs to function. They play a significant role in the cell's ability to regulate its functions.

How does the new technique of studying cells individually contribute to the research of the Human Cell Atlas?

The new technique allows for the study of single cells, which helps in understanding how cells read their own DNA and contributes to the development of a more accurate mathematical model of cellular function.

What is the importance of understanding how cells get their energy, particularly in relation to sugar?

Understanding how cells get their energy from sugar is important because it can help in designing molecules that can change the function of sugar uptake, which is linked to serious diseases like diabetes and certain cancers.

What is the potential application of understanding the fructose transporter GLUT5 in cancer research?

Understanding GLUT5, the protein responsible for fructose uptake, can lead to the development of molecules that block this protein, potentially stopping cancer cells from getting the energy they need to grow.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 The Human Cell Atlas: Unraveling the Secrets of Cells

The paragraph introduces the field of life sciences, focusing on the study of how living organisms function and interact with their environment. It highlights the importance of cell research, which is central to understanding life's most basic building blocks. The Human Genome Project is mentioned as a significant milestone, leading to the ambitious Human Cell Atlas project. This project aims to map all human cells, creating a comprehensive catalog and 3D map of the body's cells. The paragraph also discusses the complexity of cells, their structure, and the mystery of how they use only certain parts of their DNA blueprints to create unique characteristics. The potential benefits of understanding cell functions are emphasized, including the possibility of finding cures for diseases.

05:04

🧬 Advancing Cell Research with Microfluidic Technology

This paragraph delves into the technological advancements that have allowed scientists to study cells in greater detail. It discusses the use of microfluidic chips for analyzing DNA from single cells, which has revealed the existence of many more cell types than previously thought. The Human Cell Atlas project is still in its early stages, but significant progress has been made, such as mapping the entire brain of a mouse. The paragraph also explains how different cell types use different parts of the DNA code and how researchers are working to identify these variations. The potential applications of this research, such as understanding and combating diseases like the Zika virus, are also mentioned.

10:05

🔍 Exploring the Inner Workings of Cells with Microfluidic Chips

The focus of this paragraph is on the development of microfluidic chips for studying individual cells. It describes how these chips allow scientists to observe cells in real-time and understand how they function. The process of creating these chips, from designing the mold to casting them in plastic, is outlined. The paragraph also discusses how these chips are used in conjunction with microscopes to observe cells with nanometer precision, revealing the movement of transcription factors within cells. The research aims to correct mathematical models of cell function based on these observations, which can help other researchers understand and counteract cellular errors.

15:06

🩸 Uncovering New Functions of Immune Cells

This paragraph explores the study of immune cells, specifically white blood cells, and their functions beyond fighting bacteria. It discusses how these cells were previously thought to only leave blood vessels in search of bacteria but have been found to have other roles. The paragraph details an experiment that revealed immune cells' ability to sense oxygen-poor areas and help build new blood vessels, which is crucial for healing wounds. The research suggests that immune cells play a significant role in wound healing, not only in blood vessel formation but also in tissue repair and wound closure.

20:06

🍬 Investigating Fructose Uptake in Cells for Disease Prevention

The final paragraph discusses the research into how cells obtain energy from sugar, particularly fructose. It focuses on the protein GLUT5, which is responsible for fructose uptake in cells and is linked to diseases like diabetes and breast cancer. The paragraph explains how scientists are studying the structure of GLUT5 using protein crystals and synchrotron light microscopy. The goal is to find a molecule that can block GLUT5, preventing fructose uptake and thus slowing the growth of cancer cells. The potential of this research to develop treatments for serious diseases is highlighted.

Keywords

💡Life Sciences

Life Sciences is a broad field of study that encompasses the scientific inquiry into the nature and properties of living organisms and their relationships to each other and their environments. In the video, life sciences is the overarching theme, focusing on how organisms function, interact, and affect their surroundings. It includes biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of research into life's processes.

💡Cell

A cell is the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms. In the video, cells are described as life's most basic building blocks, with research focusing on understanding how they function, interact within organisms, and how they utilize their DNA code. The script mentions mapping different cell types and understanding cellular energy needs.

💡DNA Code

DNA Code refers to the sequence of nucleotides in DNA that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. The video discusses how cells read their own DNA code, which is crucial for their function and survival. Understanding the DNA code is key to the Human Cell Atlas project mentioned in the script.

💡Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project was an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the sequence of nucleotide base pairs that make up human DNA. In the script, it is mentioned as a significant breakthrough that occurred in the year 2000, leading to the mapping of all human genes and setting the stage for further detailed cellular research.

💡Human Cell Atlas

The Human Cell Atlas is an ambitious project aimed at creating a comprehensive reference map of all human cells. The script describes it as a project that aims to catalog all cell types in the human body and understand their functions within a three-dimensional context. It is compared in scale to the Human Genome Project and is central to the video's narrative of cellular research.

💡Microfluidic Chip

A microfluidic chip is a tool used in biology and chemistry to handle or manipulate small amounts of fluid, usually in the sub-microliter range. In the video, microfluidic chips are highlighted as a new technology that allows scientists to study individual cells and their DNA, providing a detailed molecular understanding of cellular processes.

💡Transcription Factors

Transcription factors are proteins that help in the process of transcription, where genetic information from DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). The video explains that transcription factors play a significant role in how cells function by searching through DNA and initiating the process of gene expression. They are crucial for cells to develop their unique characteristics.

💡Immune Cells

Immune cells, such as white blood cells, are a key component of the immune system and are found throughout the body. The video discusses the discovery of a previously unknown function of immune cells in relation to sensing hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and aiding in the development of new blood vessels and wound healing.

💡Fructose Transporter GLUT5

GLUT5 is a protein that transports fructose into cells. The video describes research into GLUT5's structure and function, which is important because increased fructose uptake has been linked to serious diseases like diabetes and cancer. Understanding GLUT5 could lead to the development of substances that block its function, potentially slowing the growth of cancer cells.

💡Synchrotron Light Microscope

A synchrotron light microscope is a tool that uses the light emitted by a synchrotron, a type of particle accelerator, to visualize samples at very high resolutions. In the video, it is mentioned that this technology is used to get pictures of protein crystals, like GLUT5, at the atomic level, which aids in understanding the protein's structure and function.

💡Cancer Research

Cancer Research involves understanding the disease at a molecular and cellular level to develop treatments and cures. The video discusses how the study of cells, particularly the fructose transporter GLUT5, is crucial in cancer research. The goal is to find a way to block GLUT5, thereby cutting off a cancer cell's energy supply and potentially slowing tumor growth.

Highlights

Life Sciences study how living organisms function, interact, and affect their surroundings.

Biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics are all part of Life Sciences.

Research on cells, the basic building blocks of life, is an essential part of Life Sciences.

The Human Cell Atlas project aims to map all cell types in the human body.

The Human Genome Project in 2000 mapped all human DNA, marking a significant scientific breakthrough.

Cells have a complex structure with a thin membrane and a nucleus containing genes.

Each cell type uses only certain parts of the DNA blueprints, creating unique characteristics.

New technologies allow scientists to study single cells and their DNA usage.

The Human Cell Atlas project has begun mapping the entire brain of a mouse.

Cells have multiple cell types, even within the same tissue.

Technological advances have accelerated the pace of scientific research.

The Human Cell Atlas could help find cures for new viruses like Zika.

Researchers are developing microfluidic chips to study individual cells.

Transcription factors play a significant role in how cells function.

Immune cells have unknown functions, including helping to build new blood vessels.

Cells require sugar for energy, and the uptake of sugar is linked to diseases like diabetes and cancer.

Researchers are studying the fructose transporter GLUT5 to understand sugar uptake in cells.

Understanding GLUT5 could lead to treatments for diseases linked to increased sugar uptake.

Life Sciences research is crucial for understanding the building blocks of life on Earth.

Transcripts

life how does life itself really

function in all of its different forms

from the largest all the way down to the

miniscule when one studies and research

is this the field is called life

sciences it's all about how living

organisms function interact within and

affect their surroundings biology and

medicine are two major areas of the life

sciences but here we also meet

scientists in engineering chemistry and

even physics an essential part of this

is research around life's most basic

building block the cell

it involves among other things discovery

and mapping of all the different cell

types to understand how a cell reads its

own DNA code

to find the cells hidden tasks and to

understand how cells get the energy they

need to survive

if scientist succeed in uncovering all

the secrets of the cell it can be a

tremendous benefit for all humanity

[Music]

[Music]

in a small room at the Karolinska

Institute sits as scientists with big

plans

Stanley nursin wants to accomplish a

monumental project but in order to

understand what it is he wants to do we

need to go back a few years in time the

year 2000 saw a major scientific

breakthrough the completion of the human

genome project researchers were

successful in mapping all of the genes

in human DNA the unique code of our

cells that makes us human the news rang

out all over the world and the results

were presented by the then President of

the United States Bill Clinton without a

doubt this is the most important most

wondrous map ever produced by humankind

now it's time to take the next step in

line with the huge task of mapping the

human genome

Stanley nursin now wants to map cells in

what is called the human cell Atlas the

human salata is a very ambitious project

and in scale I think you can fairly

compare it to the genome projects we aim

to generate an s-class of all cell types

in the human body and the idea is that

it's both honest us in in the sense of a

catalog it's also an actual

three-dimensional map of the body that

shows you in each organ what types of

cells it's a system and we are getting

together internationally and inviting

all parts of the scientific community to

join in to grasp the concept of what

scientists want to do we need to look

closely at the structure of the cell

cells are surrounded by a thin membrane

of fat inside they're filled with liquid

containing among other things nutrients

and proteins in the nucleus we find the

genes in the DNA code the same DNA

blueprints are found in all of the cells

of an individual the problem is that

each cell type in order to create its

own unique characteristics uses only

certain parts of these DNA blueprints

and researchers do not know which ones

they are or how many different cell

types exist

[Music]

as we've obtained more powerful methods

in recent years we've come to realize

that organs are much more complex than

we thought so whereas we previously

thought that would be a few tens of

different types of neurons in the brain

maybe hundred now we realize that there

are definitely hundreds maybe thousands

of different distinct types of neurons

in different parts of the brain so I

think the main difference is the level

of detail and detailed molecular

understanding of how tissues and organs

work but now new opportunities have

opened up a new technology that uses a

so called microfluidic chip which gives

scientists the opportunity to study

single cells so these are microfluidic

plates that we use for analyzing DNA

from single cells the technology enables

researchers to learn how each individual

cell uses its DNA code and that can

reveal new cell types the human cell

Atlas is still in its infancy but Sten

Linh ursins team has already taken the

first step to map the entire brain of a

mouse and so here we're looking at a

part of the brain the colors here show

you cells that have been detected the

small dots represent the different parts

of the DNA code that cells use and a

specific mix of dots then forms its own

cell type

[Music]

the green and blue that's one type of

cells and and they're brown and and

white that's another type of cell and

the pink is a third type of cell so this

allows us to see multiple cell types in

the same tissue at the same time and

it's actually the first time that we're

able to do this kind of highly

multiplexed imaging the survey has taken

a long time but technological advances

now happen quickly the new capabilities

make it possible for Stan's team to soon

be finished with the whole mouse brain

after which they want to continue with

the human even though the brain of a

mouse is much smaller than the human

brain every part of the brain exists

both in mouse and human

and I think most cell types will be the

same so we can learn a lot by studying

the mouse

if the human cell Atlas project succeeds

in mapping all of the billions of human

cells this will be a fantastic tool for

example when we want to quickly find the

cure against new viruses such as the

Zika virus which has recently hit the

world the human solidness is going to

have an important impact in clinical

research because it will serve as a

reference where you can look up

information and as an example if you

take Sakellaris if we had the cell at us

you would have been able to look up this

kind of information directly in the

Atlas and it would have taken maybe an

hour

what makes 10 Lin ursins research

possible is the new technique in

studying cells individually we can find

a scientists who is working with the

development of this technique in Uppsala

[Music]

here we can see how the cell reads its

own DNA as a mathematical model of

course the problem is that the model is

not entirely correct it needs to be

improved this is the mission of Johann

elf at Uppsala University Johan begins

by making a model of how the cells

should work according to the old methods

using test tubes and then with the help

of new technology he looks for how it

works in reality and it doesn't always

add up when we try to measure something

in society so that is usually something

that is totally different than what it

was assumed from test tubes experiments

that rates are different there were some

other molecule that we our student know

about yeah that influence the process

that is why Johan now through his

research is going to find out how the

cell actually reads its DNA different

cell types use different parts of the

DNA code on different occasions to know

which are the relevant parts the cell

must search through all of the DNA the

proteins that do the searching are

called

transcription factors and they play a

significant role in how the cell

functions

in order to study how these

transcription factors actually work

Johan needs to look inside single

bacterium cells previously they could

only study the parts of the cell in a

test tube and the results were rather

rough in place of this

now yo.hannes team is developing small

plates called microfluidic chips similar

to those that Stanley nursin used at his

lab these micro FIDIC devices have

revolutionized how we work with the

bacteria and imaging the micro channels

makes it possible to trap individual

bacterial cells and keep them growing

for days johan's team is constantly

developing new chips and manufacturing

them themselves in the lab it's not a

new mold holder

yes does it work we'll see the

researchers first create a mold and

designed the tiny channels they need

rich moments that this is a large mold

with the 1500 nanometer gas in the mold

they can then cast the chip in plastic

the chip will be bound to a small glass

slide first the surfaces are treated in

a plasma oven

then the small holes are made through

which the cells can be inserted as well

as the liquid they will grow in now they

have the single cells in place the next

step for studying how the cells work in

real time is a microscope filling the

cell interior yo.hannes team has built

its own laser microscope

[Music]

or to see on the table here is lots of

optical components to combine the light

from these different lasers into

something that we can use to excite the

tour force inside the cells

[Music]

the chip is fastened to the microscope

which now can reveal the cell interior

with nanometre precision and detect all

movements of the transcription factors

that occur in less than a millisecond

so this is the first time we can look at

any regulation with transcription

factors at this level of resolution

on the screen they can now follow

exactly how the cell searches through

its DNA the result is astounding

yo.hannes team measured that each

transcription factor molecule searches

the cells entire DNA code in just three

minutes

that means 25,000 base pairs per second

and doing it with impressive accuracy

they rarely missed their targets as long

as they don't encounter mutations but if

they do the consequences can be

devastating when this process goes wrong

the cells regulation doesn't work that

will cause some genetic disease for

instance or or such as cancer

Yohann takes the results from the films

of the cell interior back with him to

his calculations he can now correct them

in order to obtain a more accurate

mathematical model this knowledge can

then help other research groups

understand and counteract the errors

that can occur when the cell reads its

DNA

thanks to rapid to technological

developments we can now learn more about

ourselves than was previously possible

but there is still much we do not know

about the secret life of our cells

[Music]

[Music]

cells do not only do what we think they

do they also have several unknown

functions and this is of interest to me

of philipson at Uppsala University

she's taking a closer look at some of

our most common immune cells white blood

cells

I find immune cells extremely

fascinating because we can find them

everywhere in the body in all organs and

they also use the circulatory system to

quickly accumulate at specific sites at

certain signals and if we just

understand the full potential or what

they can do I'm sure that we can use

their potential in order to keep healthy

in order to uncover these unknown

functions in immune cells mia has to

study the cells at work in their normal

environment inside a living body

Mia's littlest coworkers are therefore

mice I think it's very important for

everyone that works with the mice feel

that they are taking care of the best

ways possible

through a very careful operation Mia's

team can film the immune cells at work

in the mouse's body so the reason for

the image to move is that the mouse is

breathing all the time and has also

heartbeat and now we are looking at the

intestine the red staining shows the

blood vessels and the pink staining

marks an immune cell that circulates it

was on one such film a few years ago Mia

discovered something unusual the white

blood cells previously thought to

quickly get out of the blood vessels

solely in search of bacteria behaved

strangely they creeped slowly searching

along the blood vessel walls

Mia is suspected that during this time

they were receiving many other signals

from the body such as oxygen poor areas

that needed help for example so she did

an experiment we wanted to understand if

these immune cells could sense hypoxia

in the tissue and in order to do so we

developed a model where we transplanted

islets that were hypoxic from the

isolation lacked all blood vessels

she studied blood vessel development

with transplants in diabetics where

there's a risk that the new insulin

producing islets of langerhans get too

little oxygen and died and we could see

that these sites were swarmed by immune

cells that accumulated at the site of

hypoxia the green dots are the immune

cells that have gathered by the site of

the oxygen deficiency to help build new

blood vessels and increase oxygen supply

here mia has discovered a previously

completely unknown function of our

immune system and today she continues

with this discovery the ability to build

new blood vessels is also an important

part of healing wounds she is now trying

to add the protein that activates immune

cells at the location of a wound

then we measure the area of this food

every day for a period of time in mice

that have received no treatment or

specific treatments the result is

amazing

in addition to fighting bacteria the

immune cells help the wound heal much

faster and they seem to not only help

with the blood vessels but also in

building tissue and sealing the wound we

see a dramatic increase in the healing

process especially so during the first

24 hours where the wound closes quite a

bit the more we learn about ourselves

the more we understand just how advanced

they are one major mystery to solve with

cells is how they get their energy

[Music]

here at Stockholm University researcher

David Drew is interested in sugar

cells are like tiny machines that need

energy to function for the cells the

source is sugar but sugar uptake is also

linked with several serious diseases

david explores this focusing on the

sugar fructose if we could understand

how cells take up fructose and we might

be able to design a small molecule to

change the function of the fructose

uptake because increased fructose uptake

is been linked to disorders such as

diabetes or even cancers such as breast

cancer the part of the cell responsible

for the uptake of fructose is a protein

called glute it's on the cell membrane

and scans all of the millions of

substances that constantly pass the cell

and when it detects fructose it catches

it and passes it through the cell wall

so that the cell gets charged up with

new energy you can think of fructose as

a key and the fructose transporter glute

5 like a door and this combination needs

to come together for the for the sugar

to into the cell to learn how it works

David must first find out exactly what

the glute 5 protein looks like but these

proteins are extremely small and

difficult to bring out in order to study

them they need to be grown into larger

crystals a robot divides glute 5 in

small compartments where scientists can

try many different methods of getting

them to crystallize and after several

years of work David's team can now grow

glute 5 crystals of sufficiently good

quality

and the microscope we can see the

protein crystals any particular part in

crystals come together to form shapes

and plaque stars from these protein

crystals one can with the help of a

synchrotron light microscope get

pictures down at the atomic level

David's team now can reveal glute fives

structure and visualize exactly what

happens when fructose is captured and

passes through the cell membrane so this

is imagine have a membrane this is the

outside of the cell and here is the

sugar so fructose comes in this protein

it's recognized by Big Five such that it

closes in the outside now opens up the

inside and now the sugar can intercept

thus David's team now knows how glute 5

looks and functions what can they use

this for good 5 is expressed very highly

in in some forms of cancer particularly

breast cancer and this because breast

cancer cells unlike a normal cells need

a lot more sugar to grow because he

sells rapidly dividing and breast cells

use fructose is a main energy source so

if we had a molecule which is like

fructose but when it bound wasn't

transported but somehow it locked the

protein from working it would stop there

take a fructose in this house and stop

the chimú growing glute 5 is what takes

fructose into all cells including cancer

cells but if they can find a substance

that binds more readily to glute 5 the

dude' 5 protein would be blocked and

fructose molecules would just pass by

then the cancer cells would run out of

energy which would slow their growth

David now has in his computer scans of

millions of different substances and has

narrowed it down to 40 possible

candidates soon his team will begin lab

experiments with these substances to see

which of them work best

I think cancer is it as a thief that

robs people of of of lives so if we were

to develop a medicine which was able to

to save people from these terrible

disease then of course that would be

immensely gratifying and I would just be

privileged to be a part of that story

[Music]

zel research is crucial to understanding

how life works and it is one important

part of the large field called life

sciences

[Music]

now as research on cells takes a huge

step forward the rapid evolution of

technology is crucial the possibilities

are enormous as scientists continue

learning more and more about these

building blocks of life for the cells

life is part of our life and of all life

on Earth

you