Cell Imaging Shared Resource

Vanderbilt scientists shed light on how the enteric nervous system—sometimes called the "brain" of the gut—forms and functions, offering insights that may advance treatments for gut motility disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation. Read More

James Hayes, Rekha Nagarajan, and James Costanzo are the winners of the 2025 Cell Imaging Shared Resource Life Is Beautiful image contest. CISR provides researchers with access to state-of-the-art imaging equipment and expert technical support for sophisticated microscopy and analysis of tissue and cellular anatomy and physiology. Read More

With a new method, researchers have captured a high-resolution metabolic “map” of how cells orchestrate glucose processing, revealing a hidden world where organelles and molecular complexes collaborate when responding to a rush of nutrients. The results of the pioneering work provide insights into an organizational and molecular framework that can be used to study how metabolic processes are disrupted in diseases and aging. Read More

Since its publication on February 21, 2025, the Burnette Lab’s article detailing the discovery of blebbisomes—a newly identified class of extracellular vesicles—has received over 44,000 Article Accesses, a remarkable benchmark for scientific reach and engagement. This visibility is due in part to Vanderbilt University’s new open access agreement with… Read More

Since its February 2025 publication in Nature Cell Biology, a groundbreaking study from the Burnette Lab has drawn more than 44,000 Article Accesses—amplified by Vanderbilt’s new open access agreement with Springer Nature. The study reveals the existence of blebbisomes, massive, motile extracellular vesicles that behave almost like mini cells. Packed with organelles and capable of delivering immune-modulating proteins, blebbisomes may one day serve as therapeutic couriers or targets in cancer treatment. Read More

Three biomedical research students win the inaugural Life Is Beautiful Image Contest for their stunning scientific images. Read More

The Cell Imaging Shared Resource launches an image contest to highlight the stunning scientific images captured with CISR instruments. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning submissions. Read More