Stefan Diller

Cellular Flybys, 2018

Scanning electron microscope video montage; TESCAN MIRA3 field emission scanning electron microscope; SmarAct Oldenburg to-the-nanometer, micro-degree controllable eight-axes piezo stage for specimen movement; four-channel multi-detector image system, developed by Point Electronic in Halle, Germany, that colorized the image as it was formed; nanoflight.creator control software; 1 second of video approximates 1 hour of scanning

Würzburg, Germany

This video features three nanoflight sequences on and around genetically engineered cell structures. First shown are very tiny (600-nanometer diameter) “minimal genome” cells developed at the J. Craig Venter Institute. The cell lineis SYN3A. The second sequence shows genetically engineered T cells that fight lymphoblastic leukemia; the cells are from the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility at the University of Pennsylvania. The therapy, now named KYMRIAH by Novartis, had been the first CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell therapy approved by the FDA; it was approved in 2018. The final sequence shows organoids made by CPO Berlin-Buch. CPO’s approach to “Precision Oncology and Personalized Therapy Prediction” is to develop cell model structures to test various combinations of chemotherapy treatments.