Ever since the first barcode appeared on a pack of chewing gum in 1974, the now-ubiquitous system allows retailers to easily track their products. Now, scientists can use a similar concept to identify communication signals among cells. Pathologists Bear Huang and Jr-Ming Yang created a "biosensor barcoding" system made up of combinations of patterns and colors. Each color combination, like those expressed in the cells in this image, is tied to a specific biochemical activity. The colors allow researchers to simultaneously image, track and analyze everything happening in the cell's communication network and reveal the true relationships among these activities.

The researchers hope to get a comprehensive view of how oncogenes affect communication among cancer cells to help direct new interventions and treatments

A similar image from the Johns Hopkins study was selected as the cover photo for the Dec. 9, 2021, issue of the journal Cell.

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