Holo Victory

Put on your 3D glasses now! Here a 3D effect known as an anaglyph mimics how the parasite Leishmania mexicana swims with different speeds and trajectories – some may be coming straight at you by way of a stereoscopic illusion. The video is actually based on research using another 3D technique – holograms. By comparing light patterns around the wriggling parasites, holographic microscopy tracks their movement in 3D – reconstructing (and here simulating) how their tails, or flagella, propel them through human blood. Researchers find that infectious forms of L. mexicana adapt their swimming style to follow a chemical to trail straight towards macrophages, immune cells that usually destroy pathogens. In fact, the parasites use macrophages to spread their infection – but with these new insights scientists may be able to intervene and stem the spread of diseases like leishmaniasis.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Rachel C Findlay and colleagues
• York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, and Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, June 2021