The best way to study cancer is to let it live. But cutting into tissue for a biopsy often kills the cells in the process. That's why David Becker goes deep without actually slicing. The University College London biology professor uses a laser-scanning confocal microscope to optically section the cells. He then stains the DNA in the cytoskeleton and in their nuclei before reconstructing them in 3-D. "The technology is moving toward looking at living tissue and embryos," says Becker, who catches cell division and growth in action. This shot of breast cancer cells earned him Best Health Care Image in the 2001 Visions of Science Awards (www.visions-of-science.co.uk).
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