Project: Figure for paper published in Trends in Cell Biology, Bidirectional communication in oogenesis: a dynamic conversation in mice and Drosophila by Caroline A Doherty, Stanislav Y. Shvartsman et al.
In most animals, the oocyte is the largest cell by volume. The oocyte undergoes a period of large-scale growth during its development, prior to fertilization. At first glance, tissues that support the development of the oocyte in different organisms have diverse cellular characteristics that would seem to prohibit functional comparisons. However, these tissues often act with a common goal of establishing dynamic forms of two-way communication with the oocyte. The researchers propose that this bidirectional communication between oocytes and support cells is a universal phenomenon that can be directly compared across species.

Researchers: Developmental Dynamics Group at the Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute

The process of creating this figure was featured in “Building Science Graphics” by Jen Christiansen
Building Science Graphics is an illustrated guide to communicating science through diagrams and visualizations is a practical guide for anyone―regardless of previous design experience and preferred drawing tools―interested in creating science-centric illustrated explanatory diagrams.