3D Imaging and Spectroscopy of Complex Biological Systems at the Sub-Cellular, Cellular and Multicellular Levels
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The non-invasive nature of optical microscopy enables us to study a great variety of materials under conditions approaching or similar to their "natural" environment. This is especially relevant to live biological specimens, which can be studied both in-vitro and in-vivo, providing a unique insight into the dynamic processes occurring in the live organisms. In recent years, the emphasis has been shifting towards the technologies that combine several different techniques to study a particular biological system, which in turn allows measuring a partially overlapping set of parameters, leading to deeper understanding of processes occurring within that system. In this presentation, I will consider the applications of phase imaging techniques, namely Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) and Transport of Intensity Equation (TIE), together with fluorescent and Raman spectroscopic imaging to cellular apoptosis, neurocognitive disorders, mapping of intracellular iron and ferroptosis. Methods of tracking morphological cell changes are based on measurements of phase, which is proportional to the cell thickness and can be extended to measure the optical path length, and, therefore, cell volume. Additionally, Raman micro-spectroscopy is widely used for the mapping of chemical composition within live biological samples, such as cells, organoids, and tissues. It permits non-invasive and non-destructive measurements that do not require special sample preparation processes, such as dye labelling or staining. Another form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis, is the main cause of tissue damage driven by iron overload and lipid peroxidation. Currently, only invasive cell biological assays are used to monitor the expression level and subcellular location of proteins that are known to bind iron or be involved in ferroptosis. Our group has previously reported a Raman spectroscopic method to visualize and quantify the distribution of multiple iron-binding proteins in intact cells and tissues.
Source: Microscopy and Microanalysis
Author: Alexander Khmaladze
Institution: University at Albany, State University of New York
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4400999100