A Walk Through Autumn: A Microscopic Adventure 🍂

 

Image: Dr. Francesca Antonella SepĂșlveda

November is here! The temperatures are dropping, the trees are turning red, and autumn is showing off its colors. For some, this means staying indoors with a warm cup of coffee. For others, it is the perfect time to put on their hiking boots and head out for an adventure.

Our little explorer seems to belong to the second group!

With a backpack, a warm scarf, and binoculars in hand, our adventurer has reached the top of a rather unusual landscape. Red hills stretch into the distance, crossed by turquoise paths and deep, dark valleys. It looks like a perfect place for an autumn hike, although finding the way back might be a challenge!

But there is something our explorer doesn’t know: these mountains are not made of rocks, and those colorful paths are certainly not hiking trails.

This landscape is actually a confocal fluorescence microscopy image of L929 mouse fibroblasts cultured on a biomaterial developed in collaboration with the research team led by Dr. Andrés Ortiz at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

The red and turquoise colors are not what we would see with our eyes. In fluorescence microscopy, specific cellular structures can be labeled with fluorescent markers that emit light when excited at particular wavelengths. The microscope detects these signals, allowing us to visualize details that would otherwise be difficult to distinguish.

Image of the month - November 2026

ImageoftheMonth_November_2026

 

And sometimes, those signals come together to create images that look remarkably similar to the landscapes we see in nature.

So, while November invites us to explore the colors of autumn outside, our little adventurer has discovered that there are plenty of places left to explore inside the laboratory.

The only problem? Our explorer forgot to check the scale bar before starting the hike! 🔬🍂

Dr. Francesca Antonella SepĂșlveda

Postdoctoral Researcher

 

Don’t forget to follow us on Linkedin to keep updated of all the relevant information from the BCD group! 

New publication in Biomaterials Science

BCD research group has recently published a new publication in Biomaterials Science! Congrats to our colleagues, Jesus, Monsur and Monica! Title: Evaluation of laser-induced graphene for skeletal muscle tissue engineering applicationsAuthors: JesĂșs

Read More »

New publication in Next Materials

BCD research group has recently published a new publication in Next Materials! Congrats to our colleagues, Yuyao and Monica! Title: 3D-printed biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering: An overview, current

Read More »

New publication in Carbohydrate Polymers

The BCD Group is proud to share our latest publication in Carbohydrate Polymers!Congratulations to our colleagues Aroa Mascarque-León, Maciej Haranczyk and Mónica Echeverry-Rendón for this great achievement! 👏 Title: Genipin-crosslinked pectin

Read More »

Additive manufacturing of quasi-isotropic fiber-reinforced composite laminates for biomedical applications

Surface modification of Mg-Zn-Ca alloy by plasma Electrolytic Oxidation for Biodegradable Implants

Effect of surface modification on 3D-printed NiTi alloys for cardiovascular applications