The structure of the cell, and its components, have largely been explored through methods such as protein fluorescent imaging and protein biophysical association, which are older but still effective techniques. Now, researchers have been able to combine microscopy, biochemistry, and artificial intelligence techniques to advance the understanding of the cell by revealing previously unknown cell components. In doing so, they have taken what they think may turn out to be a significant leap forward in the understanding of human cells.

The method the researchers used, known as Multi-Scale Integrated Cell (MuSIC), is described in Nature, as, “A multi-scale map of cell structure fusing protein images and interactions.”