This new visualization of a large collection of human stem cells will allow researchers around the world to see structures inside a living cell together at the same time, providing a baseline for better understanding healthy cells and for studying human disease models.

Building off last year’s launch of the Allen Cell Explorer, the Allen Integrated Cell comprises two different models that can predict the shape and location of cellular structures. The first, a probabilistic model, emerged from a machine learning approach that accurately predicts the most probable shape and location of structures in a cell based solely on the shape of that cell’s plasma membrane and nucleus.

The second, a label-free model, predicts the location of 3D structures in cells without fluorescent labels. This model is based on another machine learning algorithm created by Allen Institute scientists trained on 3D images of thousands of cells gene edited to express fluorescent protein tags. This model can be used on brightfield microscopy images to visualize many structures inside cells, simultaneously and with high precision.

“All of us have a view of a cell based on what we’ve seen in our biology textbooks and that’s a great starting point, but the fact is, there’s probably no cell in the world that’s ever looked like that,” said Rick Horwitz, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Allen Institute for Cell Science. “The Allen Integrated Cell is the closest thing that I’ve ever seen in science to magic. Now you can see the inner workings of the cell in action in a movie in three dimensions for the first time.”

Learn more in our press release.

Press Coverage

• NPR – Artificial Intelligence Takes Scientists Inside Living Human Cells
• GeekWire – Biologists use artificial intelligence to flesh out 3-D views of a cell’s inner workings
• Fierce BioTech – Using machine learning to see inside live human cells
• Axios – An AI that can predict cell structures
• Tech Crunch – Allen Integrated Cell is a powerful tool for visualizing biology in 3D
• Futurism – AI Created Complete 3D Models of Cells So Doctors See How Diseases Change Them
• Q13 Fox Seattle – Healthy Living: Scientists call new 3D model of live human cell a “game changer” in disease research
• Engadget – AI offers a new way to look inside human cells
• The Verge – New cell tool uses AI to look inside human cells
• Nova Next – AI Lets Scientists See Through Cell Membranes