Image of the Month: Memory B Cells

This image may look unassuming, but this molecular process has helped save millions of lives. Those are memory B cells, they are formed after exposure to a virus including vaccinations. They jump into action when the virus reappears to help fight and prevent infection. In a paper published in Nature Medicine, Baylor researchers describe how the process of autophagy (the process responsible for regulations, synthesis and degradation of cellular components), plays a critical role in this process. The green area is where autophagy takes place, the nucleus of the cell is in blue.  To read more about these findings see the full article in this edition of From the Labs.

Image provided by Dr. Jin Wang