{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T07:13:47Z","timestamp":1771485227421,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioinform."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Nothing inside organisms is at rest; everything moves. Cells are transported through the vascular system, proteins move cargo away or toward the cell nucleus, and enzymes repair DNA, which is constantly modified by metabolic cell processes or external influences affecting the organism. Various processes occur simultaneously in the crowded spaces of cells and across tissues, carefully coordinated and orchestrated. In contemporary science, movement lies at the root of studying cellular and molecular processes\u2014in short, of all the activities that occur within the organism. This article provides a historical perspective and methodological reflection on the study of cellular and subcellular motion in current biotechnology. It shows that, far from being evident, movement is not simply observed but actively made. I argue, first, that the conceptualization of motion in current biotechnology occurs through image-making and is thus shaped by a long pictorial history and the struggle to depict movement. Second, to make the invisible move under the conditions of visibility, metaphors and imaginaries drawn from our everyday experience of animal motion are transposed into the nanoscopic sphere, thereby setting the framework and limits of understanding motion at the molecular level.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbinf.2026.1762759","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T06:42:33Z","timestamp":1771483353000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Movement beyond data: epistemic and pictorial challenges in understanding moving life"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Janina","family":"Wellmann","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"RG Premodern Sciences, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science","place":["Berlin, Germany"]},{"name":"FG Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Technische Universitat Berlin","place":["Berlin, Germany"]}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","article-title":"\u00dcber Entwickelungsgeschichte der Thiere: Beobachtung und Reflexion. Erster Theil mit drei colorirten Kupfertafeln, K\u00f6nigsberg 1828 Zweiter Theil mit vier Kupfertafeln. K\u00f6nigsberg 1835, facsimile reprint. Brussels: Culture et Civilisation","author":"Baer","year":"1967"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ydbio.2005.04.021","article-title":"Analysis of tissue flow patterns during primitive streak formation in the chick embryo","volume":"284","author":"Cui","year":"2005","journal-title":"Dev. Biol."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2005","DOI":"10.1242\/dev.121.7.2005","article-title":"How do Sea urchins invaginate? Using biomechanics to distinguish between mechanisms of primary invagination","volume":"121","author":"Davidson","year":"1995","journal-title":"Development"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5962\/bhl.title.13354","volume-title":"Antony van Leeuwenhoek and his \u201clittle animals\u201d; being some account of the father of protozoology and bacteriology and his multifarious discoveries in these disciplines","author":"Dobell","year":"1932"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4159\/9780674039445","volume-title":"Making sense of life: explaining biological development with models, metaphors, and machines","author":"Fox Keller","year":"2002"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4615-6823-0","volume-title":"A conceptual history of modern embryology","author":"Gilbert","year":"1991"},{"key":"B7","first-page":"54","article-title":"Die fr\u00fche Entwicklung des H\u00fchnchens nach Kinoaufnahmen des lebenden Embryo","volume":"61","author":"Gr\u00e4per","year":"1926","journal-title":"Anat. Anz."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"382","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02145235","article-title":"Die Primitiventwicklung des H\u00fchnchens nach stereokinematographischen Untersuchungen, kontrolliert durch vitale Farbmarkierung und verglichen mit der Entwicklung anderer Wirbeltiere","volume":"116","author":"Gr\u00e4per","year":"1929","journal-title":"Wilhelm Roux\u2019 Arch. f\u00fcr Entwicklungsmechanik"},{"key":"B9","first-page":"31","article-title":"Phantasmagoria and the manufacturing of illusions and wonder: towards a cultural optics of the cinematic apparatus","volume-title":"Le cin\u00e9matographe, nouvelle technologie du XX","author":"Gunning","year":"2004"},{"key":"B10","volume-title":"The Camera obscura: a chronicle","author":"Hammond","year":"1981"},{"key":"B11","volume-title":"Pre-Cinema history: an encyclopaedia and annotated bibliography of the moving image before 1896","author":"Hecht","year":"1993"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1017\/s0007087408000836","article-title":"The enlightened microscope: Re-enactment and analysis of projections with eighteenth-century solar microscopes","volume":"41","author":"Heering","year":"2008","journal-title":"Br. J. Hist. Sci."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1038\/342154a0","article-title":"Movement of microtubules by single kinesin molecules","volume":"342","author":"Howard","year":"1989","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B14","volume-title":"Giants of Delft: Johannes Vermeer and the natural philosophers; the parallel search for knowledge during the age of discovery","author":"Huerta","year":"2003"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1163\/9789004418356_014","article-title":"Medical microscopy in Paris, 1830\u20131855","volume-title":"French medical culture in the nineteenth century","author":"La Berge","year":"1994"},{"key":"B16","volume-title":"Nachlese Seiner Mikroskopischen Gem\u00fcths- und Augenerg\u00f6tzung; 1. Sammlung. Bestehend in zehn illuminierten Kupfertafeln, Sammt deren Erkl\u00e4rung: Und einer getreuen Anweisung, wieman alle Arten Mikroskope, geschickt, leicht und n\u00fczlich gebrauchen solle","author":"Lederm\u00fcller","year":"1762"},{"key":"B17","first-page":"821","article-title":"Observations, communicated to the Publisher by Mr. Antony van Leewenhoeck, in a Dutch Letter of the 9th of Octob. 1676, here English\u2019d: Concerning little Animals by him observed in Rain- Well- Sea- and Snow-water; as also in water wherein Pepper had lain infused","volume":"12","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":"1677","journal-title":"Philosophical Trans. R. Soc. Lond."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"568","DOI":"10.1098\/rstl.1684.0030","article-title":"An abstract of a letter from Mr. Anthony Leevvenhoeck at Delft, dated Sep. 17. 1683, containing some Microscopical Observations, about Animals in the scurf of the Teeth, the substance call\u2019d worms in the Nose, the Cuticula consisting of Scales","volume":"14","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":"","journal-title":"Philosophical Trans. R. Soc. Lond."},{"key":"B18","article-title":"Ondervindingen En Beschouwingen Der onsigbare geschapene waarheden, Waar in gehandelt wert Vande Schobbens inde Mond, de Lasarie, de Jeuking t\u2019Kind met Vis-Schobbens,t\u2018 binnenste der Darmen, en de beweging derselve, als mede het Vet dat inde selve gevonden wert\/Geschreven aande Wyt-beroemde Koninklyke Societeit In Engeland","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":""},{"key":"B20","first-page":"52","article-title":"Letter from Leeuwenhoek to Anthonie Heinsius, September 20, 1698","volume-title":"Ontledingen en Ontdekkingen van levene Dierkens in de Teel-deelen, van verscheyde Dieren, Vogelen en Visschen: van het Hout med der selver menigvuldige vaaten; van Hair, Vlees en Vis; Als mede van de grootemenigte der Dierkens in de Excrementen \u2026 vervat in verscheyde Brieven geschreven aan de Koniglijke Societeit in London","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":"1702"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1304","DOI":"10.1098\/rstl.1702.0042","article-title":"IV. Part of a Letter from Mr Antony van Leeuwenhoek, F. R. S. concerning green weeds growing in Water, and some Animalcula found about them","volume":"23","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":"1703","journal-title":"Philosophical Trans. R. Soc. Lond."},{"key":"B22","volume-title":"Alle de brieven van Antoni van Leeuwenhoek\/The Collected Letters of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek","author":"Leeuwenhoek","year":"1939"},{"key":"B23","volume-title":"The great art of light and shadow: archaeology of the cinema","author":"Mannoni","year":"2000"},{"key":"B24","volume-title":"Research films in biology, anthropology, psychology and medicine","author":"Michaelis","year":"1955"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1016\/0012-1606(81)90276-1","article-title":"The mechanical basis of morphogenesis","volume":"85","author":"Odell","year":"1981","journal-title":"Dev. Biol."},{"key":"B26","author":"Pander","year":"1817","journal-title":"Beitr\u00e4ge zur Entwickelungsgeschichte des H\u00fchnchens im Eye"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1038\/nchembio.2038","article-title":"Kinesin\u2019s gait captured","volume":"12","author":"Peterman","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat. Chem. Biol."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1007\/bf02188499","article-title":"Zur Mechanik des Gastrulationsvorganges insbesondere der Invagination","volume":"14","author":"Rhumbler","year":"1902","journal-title":"Arch. f\u00fcr Entwicklungsmechanik Org."},{"key":"B29","volume-title":"Matter, life and generation: Eighteenth-Century embryology and the Haller-Wolff debate","author":"Roe","year":"1981"},{"key":"B30","volume-title":"Les sciences de la vie dans la pens\u00e9e fran\u00e7aise du XVIIIe si\u00e8cle. La g\u00e9n\u00e9ration des animaux de Descartes \u00e0 l\u2019Encyclop\u00e9die","author":"Roger","year":"1963"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1043","DOI":"10.1038\/ncb1203-1043","article-title":"Kinesin: walking or limping?","volume":"5","author":"Schliwa","year":"2003","journal-title":"Nat. Cell Biol."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511498572","volume-title":"The problem of animal generation in early modern philosophy","author":"Smith","year":"2006"},{"key":"B33","volume-title":"Eye of the beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the reinvention of seeing","author":"Snyder","year":"2015"},{"key":"B34","volume-title":"Uncovering the truth behind the masterpieces","author":"Staedman","year":"2001"},{"key":"B35","volume-title":"Artful science: enlightenment entertainment and the eclipse of visual education","author":"Stafford","year":"1994"},{"key":"B36","first-page":"10","article-title":"Bewegung an der Wand. Zur Auff\u00fchrung von Organismen mit dem Sonnenmikroskop","volume":"14","author":"Wellmann","year":"2008","journal-title":"Bildwelten des Wissens"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctv14gpjbr","volume-title":"The form of becoming. Embryology and the epistemology of rhythm, 1760-1830","author":"Wellmann","year":"2017"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2307\/jj.16304611","volume-title":"Biological motion. A history of life","author":"Wellmann","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Bioinformatics"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbinf.2026.1762759\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T06:42:38Z","timestamp":1771483358000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbinf.2026.1762759\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]]},"references-count":38,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fbinf.2026.1762759"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fbinf.2026.1762759","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-7647"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-7647","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]]},"article-number":"1762759"}}