Novel approach to engineered cells may enable molecular medical imaging

A tiny molecular structure that looks like a bubble may be able to significantly improve medical imaging, according to a Penn State research team. Called gas vesicles (GVs), these structures are naturally produced by certain microorganisms and are responsible for controlling the microorganism's buoyancy in water. Researchers can genetically engineer human cells to produce these gas vesicles, resulting in an ultrasound contrast medium capable of revealing deep tissue structures at the resolution of a single cell.