Illuminating the tiniest details of living cells just got a major boost: Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research have developed new markers that glow in the far-red range and are activated by light. They are stable, easy to control, and compatible with several super-resolution microscopy techniques, as outlined in a paper published in the journal Chem.

In a study, a team of researchers show that groups of magnetic microrobots can generate fluidic forces strong enough to rotate objects in different directions without touching them. These microrobot swarms can turn gear systems, rotate objects much larger than the robots themselves, assemble structures on their own, and even pull in or push away many small objects. The work was now published in Science Advances.

The powerhouse of the cells, known as mitochondria, appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell. Research into this previously unknown mechanism was conducted using baker’s yeast. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Freiburg, the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.