scholarly journals Integration of diffraction phase microscopy and Raman imaging for label‐free morpho‐molecular assessment of live cells

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. e201800291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishikesh Pandey ◽  
Renjie Zhou ◽  
Rosalie Bordett ◽  
Ciera Hunter ◽  
Kristine Glunde ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 2028-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristel Sepp ◽  
Martin Lee ◽  
Marie T. J. Bluntzer ◽  
G. Vignir Helgason ◽  
Alison N. Hulme ◽  
...  

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 590
Author(s):  
Jennifer Cauzzo ◽  
Nikhil Jayakumar ◽  
Balpreet Singh Ahluwalia ◽  
Azeem Ahmad ◽  
Nataša Škalko-Basnet

The rapid development of nanomedicine and drug delivery systems calls for new and effective characterization techniques that can accurately characterize both the properties and the behavior of nanosystems. Standard methods such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescent-based assays present challenges in terms of system’s instability, machine sensitivity, and loss of tracking ability, among others. In this study, we explore some of the downsides of batch-mode analyses and fluorescent labeling, while introducing quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) as a label-free complimentary characterization technique. Liposomes were used as a model nanocarrier for their therapeutic relevance and structural versatility. A successful immobilization of liposomes in a non-dried setup allowed for static imaging conditions in an off-axis phase microscope. Image reconstruction was then performed with a phase-shifting algorithm providing high spatial resolution. Our results show the potential of QPM to localize subdiffraction-limited liposomes, estimate their size, and track their integrity over time. Moreover, QPM full-field-of-view images enable the estimation of a single-particle-based size distribution, providing an alternative to the batch mode approach. QPM thus overcomes some of the drawbacks of the conventional methods, serving as a relevant complimentary technique in the characterization of nanosystems.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 750
Author(s):  
Pasquale Marrazzo ◽  
Valeria Pizzuti ◽  
Silvia Zia ◽  
Azzurra Sargenti ◽  
Daniele Gazzola ◽  
...  

Antibiotic resistance is creating enormous attention on the development of new antibiotic-free therapy strategies for bacterial diseases. Mesenchymal stromal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising candidates in current clinical trials and included in several cell-therapy protocols. Together with the well-known immunomodulatory and regenerative potential of the MSC secretome, these cells have shown direct and indirect anti-bacterial effects. However, the low reproducibility and standardization of MSCs from different sources are the current limitations prior to the purification of cell-free secreted antimicrobial peptides and exosomes. In order to improve MSC characterization, novel label-free functional tests, evaluating the biophysical properties of the cells, will be advantageous for their cell profiling, population sorting, and quality control. We discuss the potential of emerging microfluidic technologies providing new insights into density, shape, and size of live cells, starting from heterogeneous or 3D cultured samples. The prospective application of these technologies to studying MSC populations may contribute to developing new biopharmaceutical strategies with a view to naturally overcoming bacterial defense mechanisms.


2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chulmin Joo ◽  
Emre Özkumur ◽  
M. Selim Ünlü ◽  
Johannes F. de Boer

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. eabe4310
Author(s):  
Yue Li ◽  
Adam Eshein ◽  
Ranya K.A. Virk ◽  
Aya Eid ◽  
Wenli Wu ◽  
...  

Extending across multiple length scales, dynamic chromatin structure is linked to transcription through the regulation of genome organization. However, no individual technique can fully elucidate this structure and its relation to molecular function at all length and time scales at both a single-cell level and a population level. Here, we present a multitechnique nanoscale chromatin imaging and analysis (nano-ChIA) platform that consolidates electron tomography of the primary chromatin fiber, optical super-resolution imaging of transcription processes, and label-free nano-sensing of chromatin packing and its dynamics in live cells. Using nano-ChIA, we observed that chromatin is localized into spatially separable packing domains, with an average diameter of around 200 nanometers, sub-megabase genomic size, and an internal fractal structure. The chromatin packing behavior of these domains exhibits a complex bidirectional relationship with active gene transcription. Furthermore, we found that properties of PDs are correlated among progenitor and progeny cells across cell division.


mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Yakimovich ◽  
Robert Witte ◽  
Vardan Andriasyan ◽  
Fanny Georgi ◽  
Urs F. Greber

ABSTRACTCytopathic effects (CPEs) are a hallmark of infections. CPEs are difficult to observe due to phototoxicity from classical light microscopy. We report distinct patterns of virus infections in live cells using digital holo-tomographic microscopy (DHTM). DHTM is label-free and records the phase shift of low-energy light passing through the specimen on a transparent surface with minimal perturbation. DHTM measures the refractive index (RI) and computes the refractive index gradient (RIG), unveiling optical heterogeneity in cells. We find that vaccinia virus (VACV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and rhinovirus (RV) infections progressively and distinctly increased RIG. VACV infection, but not HSV and RV infections, induced oscillations of cell volume, while all three viruses altered cytoplasmic membrane dynamics and induced apoptotic features akin to those caused by the chemical compound staurosporine. In sum, we introduce DHTM for quantitative label-free microscopy in infection research and uncover virus type-specific changes and CPE in living cells with minimal interference.IMPORTANCEThis study introduces label-free digital holo-tomographic microscopy (DHTM) and refractive index gradient (RIG) measurements of live, virus-infected cells. We use DHTM to describe virus type-specific cytopathic effects, including cyclic volume changes of vaccinia virus infections, and cytoplasmic condensations in herpesvirus and rhinovirus infections, distinct from apoptotic cells. This work shows for the first time that DHTM is suitable to observe virus-infected cells and distinguishes virus type-specific signatures under noninvasive conditions. It provides a basis for future studies, where correlative fluorescence microscopy of cell and virus structures annotate distinct RIG values derived from DHTM.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Li ◽  
Adam Eshein ◽  
Ranya K.A. Virk ◽  
Aya Eid ◽  
Wenli Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractIn eukaryotic cells, chromatin structure is linked to transcription processes through the regulation of genome organization. Extending across multiple length-scales - from the nucleosome to higher-order three-dimensional structures - chromatin is a dynamic system which evolves throughout the lifetime of a cell. However, no individual technique can fully elucidate the behavior of chromatin organization and its relation to molecular function at all length- and timescales at both a single-cell and a cell population level. Herein, we present a multi-technique nanoscale Chromatin Imaging and Analysis (nano-ChIA) platform that bridges electron tomography and optical superresolution imaging of chromatin conformation and transcriptional processes, with resolution down to the level of individual nucleosomes, with high-throughput, label-free analysis of chromatin packing and its dynamics in live cells. Utilizing nano-ChIA, we observed that chromatin is localized into spatially separable packing domains, with an average diameter of around 200 nm, sub-Mb genomic size, and an internal fractal structure. The chromatin packing behavior of these domains is directly influenced by active gene transcription. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the chromatin packing domain structure is correlated among progenitor cells and all their progeny, indicating that the organization of chromatin into fractal packing domains is heritable across cell division. Further studies employing the nano-ChIA platform have the potential to provide a more coherent picture of chromatin structure and its relation to molecular function.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document