Clarence Yapp's Osteoclast
The digital image category is always difficult to judge as the entries are so diverse. This year the colours and composition of Clarence Yapp’s Osteoclast caught the judges’ attention.
Clarence actually submitted this image as part of a set of three. Here is his description:
Confocal microscopy of a multi-nucleated human osteoclast stained with Hoechst (pseudo-colored green), phalloidin (pseudo-colored blue), and vitronectin receptor (pseudo-colored magenta).
Human monocytes were extracted from donors’ blood and differentiated into osteoclasts using an established protocol.
Multiple nuclei, a large size, and a peripheral actin-ring are characteristic of osteoclast cells.
The aim of this research is to improve understanding of the biology of these osteoclasts, and to generate a model system for testing drugs against bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis.
Equipment used: Zeiss LSM710 confocal microscope with 405nm, 488nm, and 561nm laser lines and a 40x 1.3 N.A. lens