Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have identified hidden fluid flows inside cells that rapidly transport proteins to the leading edge, challenging traditional views of cellular movement. The discovery, made during a classroom experiment, could explain why some cancer cells spread aggressively. The findings appear in Nature Communications.
Catherine Galbraith and James Galbraith, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, uncovered the cellular mechanism while leading a neurobiology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. Using a laser to track protein movement, they observed an unexpected dark band of soluble actin racing to the cell's front edge. 'We kind of did it for fun and then realized this gave us a way of measuring something that wasn't able to be measured before,' Cathy Galbraith said. This revealed directed fluid flows, likened to trade winds, that propel proteins faster than random diffusion alone would allow. James Galbraith added, 'Cells really do go with the flow.'
