Summary of the science
All cells age and this ageing process can be identified by other cells. It is important to remove ageing cells so that the cellular population is kept healthy. This process helps both to prevent cancer (by removing 'bad' cells) and promotes cancer (as cancerous cells are perceived as 'super-fit'). The Moreno Lab investigates how cells interact with and compete with each other and how this relates to disease.
About the research
The Moreno Lab focuses on cell fitness and how this relates to disease. Cells may age and decrease in fitness. These cells are identified by its neighbours and eliminated in favour of newer, healthier cells and this process of competition and elimination is important in the incipience of cancer. Using the fruit fly as a model organism, the Moreno Lab studies how cell competition works, such as by identifying 'fitness fingerprints' used by cells to gauge the health and age of neighbours.
About the illustration
We wanted to highlight the idea of heterogeneity in cellular populations as this contributes to cellular competition so we came up with this idea of a repeating hexagonal pattern. There is some variation in the hexes to give the idea that they are not exactly identical and to add texture to the illustration, but they remain predominantly similar. Then there are clearly more fit cells which are highlighted in brighter and larger shapes and less fit cells which are darker and smaller, representing this idea of selection and growth and removal and decay, respectively.