New Technique Shows Living Cells In 3-D

New Technique Shows Living Cells In 3-D
A new method of creating 3-D images of living cells without disturbing them promises to open an unprecedented view into how they operate.

University of Illinois engineers say the technique, called white-light diffraction tomography, will let researchers watch cellular processes as they unfold, the effects of drugs and how stem cells change into specialized cells.
The technique uses conventional microscopes and white light, so scientists don’t have to bathe bacterial or other cells in dyes, other chemicals, radiation or mechanical forces that would destroy them.

One main focus of imaging cells is trying to understand how they function, or how they respond to treatments, for example, during cancer therapies,” said Gabriel Popescu, an electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering professor who led the team. “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.” 

The 3-D composite is made of stacked cross-sectional images— similar to how MRI and CT scan medical imaging work— taken by changing the microscope’s focal point throughout the depth of the cell. A computer then analyzes and stitches the images together. 


Source:
http://news.illinois.edu/news/14/0121WDT_GabrielPopescu.html
Reference:
http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphoton.2013.350.html

Gif of a 3-D living cancer cell developed from YouTube video. Courtesy University of Illinois.
3D Imaging of Live Cells