Reconstructing the cell surface in a test tube
Like the phenomena of flocking birds and shoaling fish, the dance of molecules across a cell's surface has long fascinated theorists, physicists and biologists alike. Unlike bird and fish behaviour, however, cell surface dynamics cannot be observed and studied easily. However, it is important to understand these processes as they are crucial for cells to gain information about their environment and respond. So how does one understand the rules that govern movement of molecules across this arena? By reconstructing the cell surface from scratch, perhaps? Now, scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore have managed to do exactly that - construct a simplified cell surface from its constituent parts, namely, a mixture of fats and proteins. This reconstruction creates a crucial new tool that researchers can use to test theories on cell surface dynamics.