PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

3-D imaging provides window into living cells, no dye required

2014-01-22
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Liz Ahlberg
eahlberg@illinois.edu
217-244-1073
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3-D imaging provides window into living cells, no dye required

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Living cells are ready for their close-ups, thanks to a new imaging technique that needs no dyes or other chemicals, yet renders high-resolution, three-dimensional, quantitative imagery of cells and their internal structures – all with conventional microscopes and white light.

Called white-light diffraction tomography (WDT), the imaging technique opens a window into the life of a cell without disturbing it and could allow cellular biologists unprecedented insight into cellular processes, drug effects and stem cell differentiation.

The team of University of Illinois researchers, led by electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering professor Gabriel Popescu, published their results in the journal Nature Photonics.

"One main focus of imaging cells is trying to understand how they function, or how they respond to treatments, for example, during cancer therapies," Popescu said. "If you need to add dyes or contrast agents to study them, this preparation affects the cells' function itself. It interferes with your study. With our technique, we can see processes as they happen and we don't obstruct their normal behavior."

Because it uses white light, WDT can observe cells in their natural state without exposing them to chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, or mechanical forces – the three main methods used in other microscopy techniques. White light also contains a broad spectrum of wavelengths, thus bypassing the interference issues inherent in laser light – speckles, for example.

The 3-D images are a composite of many cross-sectional images, much like an MRI or CT image. The microscope shifts its focus through the depth of the cell, capturing images of various focus planes. Then the computer uses the theoretical model and compiles the images into a coherent three-dimensional rendering.

The greatest potential of WDT, according to the researchers, is the ability to study cells in three dimensions over time. Since the cells are not altered, they can be imaged repeatedly, allowing researchers a glimpse into the dynamics of a cell as it goes about its life – or as it is treated with a new drug.

"As a cell grows we can see the change in all three dimensions," said Taewoo Kim, a graduate student and first author of the paper. "We can see the dynamics of the cell in 3-D, which hasn't been done in a quantitative manner. For example, we could see, in the span of a minute or over a cell's lifetime, how it grows and how the things in the cell move around."

See a video showcasing examples of the 3D images at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYclcMxz9tg.

"With this imaging we can tell at what scale things within the cell are transported randomly and at what scale processes are actually organized and deterministic," Popescu said. "At first glance, the dynamics looks pretty messy, but then you look at it – we stare at movies for hours and hours – and you realize it all makes sense. Everything is organized perfectly at certain scales. That's what makes a cell alive. Randomness is just nature's way to try new things."

WDT uses a component that adds onto a conventional phase contrast microscope, a common piece of equipment in biology labs, without altering the microscope itself. The researchers used conventional microscopes with the intention of making these new optics principles easily accessible for biologists. The researchers hope that this will allow rapid large-scale adoption of WDT, and Popescu founded a startup company, Phi Optics, to help achieve that goal.

In addition to biological applications, the WDT technique has implications in the broader field of optics as the researchers pushed the boundaries of physics by applying scattering theory to imaging optics.

"The physics behind this technique is another thing we were fascinated about," Kim said. "Light propagation in general is studied with approximations, but we're using almost no approximation. In a very condensed form, we can perfectly show how the light changes as it passes through the cell."

"We started on this problem two years ago, trying to formulate mathematically the sectioning effect observed in spatial light interference light microscopy (SLIM)," said Renjie Zhou, a graduate student and co-first author of the paper. "We came up with equations which eventually described WDT. The final equation is beautiful and the theory opens opportunities for solving other optics problems in a new theoretical language."

Next, the researchers hope to pursue cross-disciplinary collaborations to explore applications of WDT in biology as well as expansions of the imaging optics demonstrated in WDT. For example, they are using WDT to watch stem cells as they differentiate in hopes of better understanding how they turn into different cell types. Since stem cells are so sensitive, only a chemical-free, non-invasive, white-light technique such as WDT could be used to study them without adverse effects.



INFORMATION:



The National Science Foundation supported this work. U. of I. electrical and computer engineering professors P. Scott Carney and Lynford Goddard, graduate student Mustafa Mir and postdoctoral fellow S. Derin Babacan also were co-authors of the paper. All authors were part of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I. Popescu, Zhou and Goddard are also affiliated with the university's Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory. For more information, visit http://light.ece.illinois.edu.

Editor's note: To reach Gabriel Popescu, call (217) 333-4840; email: gpopescu@illinois.edu.

The paper, "White-light diffraction tomography of unlabeled live cells," is available from the News Bureau or online at http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphoton.2013.350.html.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New avenue to treat diabetes-related vision problems

2014-01-22
New avenue to treat diabetes-related vision problems Eye on dopamine Dopamine-restoring drugs already used to treat Parkinson's disease may also be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in adults, researchers have discovered. The ...

No-till soybean fields give (even some rare) birds a foothold in Illinois

2014-01-22
No-till soybean fields give (even some rare) birds a foothold in Illinois CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers report in a new study that several bird species – some of them relatively rare – are making extensive use of soybean fields in Illinois. The team ...

Live feed into our bodies

2014-01-22
Live feed into our bodies A palm-top device developed by UCSB researchers provides real-time insight into how fast a living body metabolizes drugs, opening the door to highly personalized medicine (Santa Barbara, Calif.) — A device that ...

Sedentary behavior and low physical activity linked to heart failure in men

2014-01-22
Sedentary behavior and low physical activity linked to heart failure in men PASADENA, CALIF., 21, 2014 — Men who reported being sedentary with low levels of physical activity were at a significantly higher risk for heart failure than those who were more active, ...

Cancer diagnosis doesn't increase a child's risk of post-traumatic stress disorder

2014-01-22
Cancer diagnosis doesn't increase a child's risk of post-traumatic stress disorder A St. Jude Children's Research Hospital study found that despite being diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses, childhood cancer patients are no more likely than ...

Subterranean 'sedimentary bathtub' amplifies earthquakes

2014-01-22
Subterranean 'sedimentary bathtub' amplifies earthquakes A basin of stiff soil beneath Vancouver might make earthquakes there more severe than expected, a San Diego State University seismologist finds SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 21, 2014)— Like an amphitheater amplifies ...

Emergency treatment takes longer for heart attack victims during off-hours

2014-01-22
Emergency treatment takes longer for heart attack victims during off-hours ROCHESTER, Minn. — Jan. 21, 2014 — More people die and emergency hospital treatment takes longer for heart attack victims who arrive at the hospital during off-hours (nights and weekends), compared ...

White, green or black roofs? Berkeley Lab report compares economic payoffs

2014-01-22
White, green or black roofs? Berkeley Lab report compares economic payoffs Looking strictly at the economic costs and benefits of three different roof types—black, white and "green" (or vegetated)—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) ...

Exposure to cold temperatures can help boost weight loss

2014-01-22
Exposure to cold temperatures can help boost weight loss Regular exposure to mild cold may be a healthy and sustainable way to help people lose weight, according to researchers writing in the Cell Press publication Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism on January 22nd. On ...

Parental exposure to THC Linked to drug addiction, compulsive behavior in unexposed offspring

2014-01-22
Parental exposure to THC Linked to drug addiction, compulsive behavior in unexposed offspring Mount Sinai study pinpoints molecular and neurobiological effects of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana New York, NY ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Osteoporosis treatment benefits people older than 80

Consuming more protein may protect patients taking anti-obesity drug from muscle loss

Thyroid treatment may improve gut health in people with hypothyroidism

Combination of obesity medication tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy fuels weight loss

High blood sugar may have a negative impact on men’s sexual health

Emotional health of parents tied to well-being of children with growth hormone deficiency

Oxytocin may reduce mood changes in women with disrupted sleep

Mouse study finds tirzepatide slowed obesity-associated breast cancer growth

CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes

New research expands laser technology

Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain

A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers

Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes

CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds

Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies

Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design

KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity

More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia

“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues

What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?

A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists

Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script

Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds

Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

[Press-News.org] 3-D imaging provides window into living cells, no dye required