New technology to observe and quantify intracellular phenomena

Researchers at EPFL and spin-off Nanolive have used a special microscope that combines two imaging technologies to observe and quantify new intracellular phenomena. In an article published today in the journal PLOS Biology, also reveals a range of computer tools that can be used in the future by other research laboratories. A study by researchers at EPFL has cast fresh light on a range of intracellular phenomena. The team used a microscope developed by spin-off Nanolive to observe changes in cell size during division, organelle movements, and the formation of tiny lipid droplets - all over an extended period and without damaging the cell. They then quantified the observed phenomena using software specially designed to sift through the mass of raw imaging data. The study, published today in the journal PLOS Biology , paves the way for the technology to be used in other areas of scientific research. Cells in the spotlight The Nanolive microscope used in the study combines holotomography, which measures the three-dimensional refractive index tomogram of living cells, with epifluorescence microscopy, which relies on the light emitted by an object that has absorbed higher-energy photons.