A team of scientists from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia have translated data from high-resolution electron-microscope imaging into a virtual simulation of a breast cancer cell. This demonstration is meant to give biologists and chemists a better understanding of how a disease affects patients on a cellular level.

One possible future clinical application for the technology is to convert imaging of clogged arteries into simulations for patients to help them better understand what high cholesterol is doing to their bodies. It’s hypothesized that immersing patients in actual representations of their own arterial blockages will subconsciously motivate them to adhere to treatment regimens and alter their risky behaviors.

Click here to read an article about this technology in New Scientist.

Featured Image Attribution: John McGhee & John Bailey – 3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab