Surprising results from scientists in Germany could help answer questions about the organisation and transport of various cell components.

Cells can ingest foreign particles by a process known as phagocytosis. If large numbers of small particles are introduced in this way, they arrange into crystallites. Fascinated by the beauty of these crystallites and sceptical that cells can grow and divide with the crystal structures inside, Jennifer Curtis and colleagues from the University of Heidelberg investigated the phenomenon. 

The experiments led to surprising results for the group, including the observation that the ingested particles are organised according to their size. Curtis explained that as the particles are taken up, 'uniformly sized particles are arranged into crystallites and particles of mixed sizes are sorted into segregated crystalline regions.' 

Curtis suggested that foreign particles, such as the polystyrene beads used in the team's experiments, could be used as models of organelles, the internal components of cells. Whilst particles of this size have been used in previous studies, they have never been introduced in the large numbers used in Curtis's approach. A great deal remains unknown about organelle arrangement and transport in cells, said Curtis; the new method could be used to help answer a number of questions. 

Understanding the ordering phenomenon could lead to insights into the interactions between organelles as they are transported through the cell, a hot topic for biophysicists, Curtis said. This is 'a novel technique for studying the intake, transport and internal organisation of intracellular objects - biophysical processes of obvious relevance to life sciences, and great potential for medical applications.' 

Laura Howes