Weighing the cell
Using a sensor that weighs cells with unprecedented precision, MIT and Harvard researchers have for the first time measured the rate at which single cells accumulate mass — a feat that could shed light on how cells control their growth and why those controls fail in cancer cells.The research team, led by Scott Manalis, MIT associate professor of biological engineering, revealed that individual cells vary greatly in their growth rates, and also found evidence that cells grow exponentially (meaning they grow faster as they become larger).The new measurement system, reported in the April 11 edition of the journal Nature Methods, is the first technique that can measure cells’ mass as they grow over a period of time (in this case, ranging from five to 30 minutes). Previous methods for measuring cell growth rates have focused on volume or length measurements, and have not yet exhibited the necessary precision for revealing...