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Sequence of the gene CCR5 Delta 32 in acrylic paint on polyester taffeta. The CCR5 gene produces the CCR5 receptor protein which normally inserts into the cell membrane. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects human cells by attaching to 2 cell membrane proteins, CD4 and CCR5. The CCR5 Delta 32 mutation consists of a 32 base-pair deletion which introduces a premature stop signal. This results in a shorter protein with a non-functional receptor. Therefore, HIV is not able to properly attach to the CCR5 receptor and gain entry to the cell, meaning people who have the mutant gene are resistant to developing AIDs. Nearly 20% of the population in Europe has either one or two copies of the mutant gene, which has been traced back 2000 years to a single mutation amongst Vikings in Northern Europe. Those who had the mutation were protected from infection by viruses such as small pox, and survived plagues better than those with the normal CCR5 gene, which explains how the mutation has become so prevalent in a relatively short time. In 2009, scientists in Berlin reported the first, and only, individual to be cured of HIV. The treatment involved a bone marrow transplant from a donor with the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation. 



This image is a photo of 2 large banners each painted with the normal CCR5 sequence (left hand of the stripe) laid next to the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation sequence (right hand of the stripe). The four building blocks, or bases, of DNA are represented by four different colours: yellow (adenine), purple (cytosine), green (guanine) and orange (thymine). The banner on the left shows the genetic mutation in situ; the 32 base-pair deletion can be seen in the middle of the gene. The banner on the right shows the resulting gene product. The effect of the mutation can be seen clearly, indicated by the contrasting colours and the shortened (truncated) gene. The banners are around 3m in height.

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Scanning electron micrograph of red blood corpuscles and a single white blood cell entangled in the fibrin mesh of a clot, computer-coloured red/yellow.

SEM of blood corpuscles in clot.

Scanning electron micrograph of red blood corpuscles, very close up, computer-coloured red.

SEM of red blood corpuscles, close-up

Confocal micrograph of macrophages infected with candida yeast. Yeast hyphae (branching, filamentous fungal structures) are stained blue while actin (stained red) and nuclei (stained green) are also visible. Macrophages are white blood cells of the immune system which engulf and destroy foreign material. They are found in all tissues of the body. Overgrowth of yeasts can result in fungal infections such as thrush (candidiasis). Width of image is 106 micrometres.

Macrophages infected with candida yeast, LM

Transmission electron micrograph of macrophage cells infected with Candida yeast spores. The Candida spores are visible in the bottom left cell. Macrophages are white blood cells of the immune system which engulf and destroy foreign material. They are found in all tissues of the body. Overgrowth of yeasts can result in fungal infections such as thrush (candidiasis). Horizontal image width is 33 microns.

Macrophages infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

Colour-enhanced transmission electron microscope image of a polymorphonuclear leucocyte or neutrophil. This type of white blood cell has many lobes to its nucleus - four can be seen here in white/green. The nuclear membrane is highlighted in red. Neutrophils are mainly involved in ingesting and destroying small organisms such as bacteria.

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte

Scanning electron micrograph of red blood corpuscles and at least one white blood cell entangled in the fibrin mesh of a clot, computer-coloured mauve.

Scanning electron microscope image of blood clot, high power, showing a white blood cell
in the centre. Biomedical Image Awards 1999.

Electron micrograph of blood clot,high power

False-colour transmission electron micrograph of part of a macrophage cell. Some of the organelles inside the macrophage are visible here including mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cell responsible for making energy that the cell needs to function), golgi membrane stacks (play a role in transporting different molecules around the cell) and the edge of the nucleus (bottom left). Macrophages are white blood cells of the immune system which engulf and destroy foreign material. They are found in all tissues of the body. Width of image is 4.5 micrometres.

Ultrastructure inside a macrophage cell, TEM

The image depicts a specialised process of cellular communication between human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) (labelled with red fluorescence, specific for mitochondrial labelling) and human macrophages (labelled with blue fluorescence). MSC are adult stem cells which can be easily isolated from bone marrow of adult patients or healthy volunteers and have been shown to be novel potential candidates for a cell-based therapy for conditions such as bacterial pneumonia and sepsis. Macrophages are host white blood cells that have a specialised function in regulating the immune response and killing bacteria during an infection. Past studies have shown that MSC can manipulate macrophage behaviour and this enables them to become less inflammatory whilst simultaneously kill bacteria more efficiently. But the mechanisms behind this process are still unclear.



This image shows how MSC are able to transfer their mitochondria (the energy source of the cell) through formation of long tunnelling nanotubules (TNT) (also labelled red). These are long arm-like projections produced by MSC and extend from the plasma membrane. These protrusions can range from 50-200 ?m in length and MSC use these structures as a pathway to deliver cellular entities such as mitochondria to the macrophage (seen by the merging of blue and red creating the pink colour). This image illustrates the importance of how MSC could potentially alleviate debilitating symptoms of inflammatory conditions which are coupled with underlying bacterial infections.

Stem cell transfer of mitochondria

Colour-enhanced transmission electron microscope image of a polymorphonuclear leucocyte or neutrophil. This type of white blood cell has many lobes to its nucleus - four can be seen here in white/yellow. The nuclear membrane is highlighted in purple. Neutrophils are mainly involved in ingesting and destroying small organisms such as bacteria. The cell is approximately 8.9 micrometres in diameter.

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte - neutrophil

Blood smear from a bird showing the prolific nucleated red blood cells and a variety of white blood cells. The small, compact, purple-stained cells are thrombocytes, the larger pink and purple cells are heterophils. Bird red blood cells differ from mammalian red blood cells by retaining their nuclei. The sample has been stained with haemotoxylin (purple) and eosin (pink)

Avian blood

Blood smear from a bird showing the prolific nucleated red blood cells and a variety of white blood cells. The small, compact, purple-stained cell is a thrombocyte, the larger pinky purple cell is a heterophil and the large purple cell is likely to be a basophil. Bird red blood cells differ from mammalian red blood cells by retaining their nuclei. The sample has been stained with haemotoxylin (purple) and eosin (pink)

Transmission electron micrograph of a macrophage cell (blue) with 3 Candida yeast spores (brown) germinating inside. Macrophages are white blood cells of the immune system which engulf and destroy foreign material. They are found in all tissues of the body. Overgrowth of yeasts can result in fungal infections such as thrush (candidiasis). Horizontal image width is 19 microns.

Macrophage infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

Macrophage from a human tonsil containing a phagocytic vesicle (pink) and lysosomes (dark red). The lysosomes degrade the ingested material by subjecting it to strong chemical and enzymatic attack.

Macrophage with phagocytic vesicle and lysosomes

Colour-enhanced transmission electron microscope image of a mast cell full of histamine granules (pink). Histamine is released as part of an allergic reaction. 
The diameter of the cell is approx. 8.4 micrometres. Biomedical Image Awards 2005.

Mast cell showing histamine granules

The battle in a drop of blood, white cells breaking up the typhoid fever parasite

Health & Disease in Deadly Combat

This image shows a smear of a thyroid nodule where the cells are undergoing cell death due to restricted blood supply. Irregularly-shaped necrotic (dead) thyroid follicular cells can be seen on the left side of the image (blue). Lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, are also present (small, dark blue cells). 



Thyroid follicular cells use iodine from the blood supply for the production of thyroid hormones. The yellow 'splashes' in this image are hematoidin, a pigment derived from hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein found in red blood cells (erythrocytes). Hematoidin forms when erythrocytes degenerate under conditions of low oxygen tension in a closed tissue compartment. Porphyrin is released from hemoglobin and converted to biliverdin which is in turn reduced to crystalline hematoidin (yellow). The hematoidin crystals are sometimes described as resembling cockleburs.



Horizontal image width 215 micrometers.

Thyroid nodule smear showing hematoidin crystals

Sequence of the gene CCR5 Delta 32 in acrylic paint on polyester taffeta. The CCR5 gene produces the CCR5 receptor protein which normally inserts into the cell membrane. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects human cells by attaching to 2 cell membrane proteins, CD4 and CCR5. The CCR5 Delta 32 mutation consists of a 32 base-pair deletion which introduces a premature stop signal. This results in a shorter protein with a non-functional receptor. Therefore, HIV is not able to properly attach to the CCR5 receptor and gain entry to the cell, meaning people who have the mutant gene are resistant to developing AIDs. Nearly 20% of the population in Europe has either one or two copies of the mutant gene, which has been traced back 2000 years to a single mutation amongst Vikings in Northern Europe. Those who had the mutation were protected from infection by viruses such as small pox, and survived plagues better than those with the normal CCR5 gene, which explains how the mutation has become so prevalent in a relatively short time. In 2009, scientists in Berlin reported the first, and only, individual to be cured of HIV. The treatment involved a bone marrow transplant from a donor with the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation. 

This image is a photo of one of the two banners created in the series. The normal CCR5 sequence (left hand of the stripe) is shown next to the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation sequence (right hand of the stripe). The four building blocks, or bases, of DNA are represented by four different colours: yellow (adenine), purple (cytosine), green (guanine) and orange (thymine). This banner shows the resulting gene product. The effect of the mutation can be seen clearly, indicated by the contrasting colours and the shortened (truncated) gene. 

The banners are around 3m in height.

Colour-enhanced image of a small lymphocyte surrounded by a number of red blood cells.
The horizontal field width of the sample is 13.3 micrometres.

Lymphocyte with red blood cells

Blood smear from a bird showing the prolific nucleated red blood cells and a variety of white blood cells. The small, compact, purple-stained cells are thrombocytes, the larger pink and purple cells are heterophils and the large purple cells are likely to be basophils. Bird red blood cells differ from mammalian red blood cells by retaining their nuclei. The sample has been stained with haemotoxylin (purple) and eosin (pink)

Cross section of a small blood vessel containing numerous red blood cells and a white blood cell.. The surrounding cells contain many mitochondria and some rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Blood vessel with red and white blood cells

Confocal micrograph of macrophages infected with candida yeast. Yeast hyphae (branching, filamentous fungal structures) are stained blue while actin (stained red) and nuclei (stained green) are also visible. Macrophages are white blood cells of the immune system which engulf and destroy foreign material. They are found in all tissues of the body. Overgrowth of yeasts can result in fungal infections such as thrush (candidiasis). Width of image is 212 micrometres.

Blood smear from a bird showing the prolific nucleated red blood cells and a variety of white blood cells. The small, compact, purple-stained cells are thrombocytes, the larger pinky purple cells are heterophils. Bird red blood cells differ from mammalian red blood cells by retaining their nuclei. The sample has been stained with haemotoxylin (purple) and eosin (pink).

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DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

SEM of blood corpuscles in clot.

SEM of red blood corpuscles, close-up

Macrophages infected with candida yeast, LM

Macrophages infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte

SEM of blood corpuscles in clot.

Electron micrograph of blood clot,high power

Ultrastructure inside a macrophage cell, TEM

Stem cell transfer of mitochondria

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte - neutrophil

Avian blood

Avian blood

Macrophage infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

Macrophage with phagocytic vesicle and lysosomes

Avian blood

Mast cell showing histamine granules

Health & Disease in Deadly Combat

Thyroid nodule smear showing hematoidin crystals

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Lymphocyte with red blood cells

Avian blood

Blood vessel with red and white blood cells

Macrophages infected with candida yeast, LM

Avian blood

Stay in the know

Wellcome collection

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More filters

Active filters:

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

SEM of blood corpuscles in clot.

SEM of red blood corpuscles, close-up

Macrophages infected with candida yeast, LM

Macrophages infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte

SEM of blood corpuscles in clot.

Electron micrograph of blood clot,high power

Ultrastructure inside a macrophage cell, TEM

Stem cell transfer of mitochondria

White blood cell - polymorphonuclear leucocyte - neutrophil

Avian blood

Avian blood

Macrophage infected with Candida yeast spores, TEM

Macrophage with phagocytic vesicle and lysosomes

Avian blood

Mast cell showing histamine granules

Health & Disease in Deadly Combat

Thyroid nodule smear showing hematoidin crystals

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Lymphocyte with red blood cells

Avian blood

Blood vessel with red and white blood cells

Macrophages infected with candida yeast, LM

Avian blood

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

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Wellcome collection