Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Maha K. Rahim, Jinghui Zhao, Hinesh V. Patel, Hauna A. Lagouros, Rajesh Kota, Irma Fernandez, Enrico Gratton, Jered B. Haun
Summary: Fluorescence lifetime-based multiplexing allows simultaneous detection of multiple probes, and the phasor approach provides a simple solution for lifetime analysis. This study demonstrates the ability of phasor analysis to resolve and quantify exogenous fluorescent probes based on lifetime information alone. It also shows that lifetime-based quantitation accuracy can be improved through intensity matching. The results highlight the potential of fluorescence lifetime imaging and phasor analysis as a powerful tool for simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
He Gao, Pei Wu, Pei Song, Bin Kang, Jing-Juan Xu, Hong-Yuan Chen
Summary: Plasmonic nanoparticles like gold and silver have potential as nanoprobes for biological sensing and imaging, with a demand for small gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) comparable in size to quantum dots and fluorescent proteins. Very small nanoparticles below the Rayleigh limit are difficult to visualize using light scattering with a dark-field microscope, and while a photothermal microscope can detect them, its imaging speed is too slow for live cell processes. The absorption modulated scattering microscopy (AMSM) method allows for imaging sub-10 nm Au NPs within a cellular medium, offering sensitivity similar to photothermal microscopy but with a much faster imaging speed suitable for dynamic tracking of small nanoparticles in living cells.
Article
Biology
Anthony Santella, Irina Kolotuev, Caroline Kizilyaprak, Zhirong Bao
Summary: Analyzing brain development, structure, and function across imaging modalities can provide valuable information. This study combines electron microscopy and time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to study the emergence of the nervous system in Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sneha R. Bhosale, Kishor S. Jagadhane, Rakhee R. Bhosale, Sharadrao A. Vanalakar, Mohammad H. Qureshi, Devashree N. Patil, Rushikesh P. Dhavale, Vinod B. Shimpale, Govind B. Kolekar, Prashant V. Anbhule
Summary: In this report, a drug delivery system based on Argyreia sharadchandrajii biomass-derived carbon encapsulated on the surface of zinc oxide nanorods was developed. The carbon encapsulation process was performed by a two-step method involving the preparation of mesoporous carbon and synthesis of ZnO nanorods. The resulting composite exhibited a wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure and showed potential bioactivities including antioxidation, antimicrobial properties, anticancer effects, and sustained drug release.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jeremy Copperman, Sean M. Gross, Young Hwan Chang, Laura M. Heiser, Daniel M. Zuckerman
Summary: Time-lapse imaging is a powerful tool to study cell dynamics, but analyzing morphological changes over time is challenging. In this study, we use trajectory embedding to analyze cellular behavior based on multiple time points simultaneously. We apply this method to study the effects of microenvironmental perturbagens on MCF10A mammary epithelial cells. Our analysis reveals ligand-specific regulation of cell state transitions and provides descriptive models of single-cell trajectories. Incorporating trajectories improves the characterization of cell states and enables better identification of phenotypes compared to snapshot-based analysis. This approach has broad applications in live-cell imaging for studying cell responses.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Zewei Luo, Ge Wu, Mengting Kong, Zhi Chen, Zhengfei Zhuang, Junchao Fan, Tongsheng Chen
Summary: Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy is a valuable tool for studying biological systems, but super-resolution FRET imaging in living cells is challenging. In this study, we propose a SR FRET method called SIM-FRET that combines SR structured illumination microscopy (SIM) imaging and acceptor sensitized emission FRET imaging to achieve live-cell quantitative SR FRET imaging. Our method provides enhanced spatial resolution and maintains the advantages of quantitative FRET analysis. We validate the effectiveness of SIM-FRET through simulated models and live-cell samples, and demonstrate its ability to reveal the intricate structure of FRET signals.
PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lei Jiang, Hao Cai, Wanwan Zhou, Zijian Li, Liang Zhang, Hong Bi
Summary: Monitoring the dynamics of RNA granules and phase separation inside cells is important for understanding cellular responses under various stresses, such as oxidative stress. Current small-molecule RNA probes face limitations in stability and biocompatibility, highlighting the urgent need for RNA-targeting fluorescent nanoprobes that can be used in living cells. In this study, a novel RNA-targeting, red-emissive carbon dots (M-CDs) were designed and synthesized, which showed high water solubility, fluorescence quantum yield, and selectivity for RNA. The M-CDs were successfully internalized into cells within 5 seconds and were able to image the dynamic process of intracellular stress granules under oxidative stress in real-time. This research opens up new possibilities for visualizing bulk RNA dynamics and studying phase-separation behaviors in living cells.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bo Hou, Felix Cosmin Mocanu, Yuljae Cho, Jongchul Lim, Jiangtao Feng, Jingchao Zhang, John Hong, Sangyeon Pak, Jong Bae Park, Young-Woo Lee, Juwon Lee, Byung-Sung Kim, Stephen M. Morris, Jung Inn Sohn, SeungNam Cha, Jong Min Kim
Summary: Computational simulations and electron microscopy in this study reveal that nanofaceting can occur during nanocrystal synthesis, leading to curved interfaces and olivelike-shaped nanoparticles.
Article
Cell Biology
Joanna W. Pylvanainen, Estibaliz Gomez-de-Mariscal, Ricardo Henriques, Guillaume Jacquemet
Summary: Live imaging, particularly when combined with fluorescence microscopy, is a powerful tool for observing cellular components in real time. However, implementing live imaging and analyzing the resulting datasets is challenging due to issues such as drift, phototoxicity, and dataset size. Recent advances in bioimage analysis, including deep learning, are revolutionizing how live imaging is performed. Important computational methods for live imaging include drift correction, denoising, super-resolution imaging, artificial labeling, tracking, and time series analysis. Self-driving microscopy has also seen recent advancements.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yang Zeng, Rui Cao, Jie Zhu, Wei Zhao, Dan Sun, Ce Zhang
Summary: A methodology using dark field microscopy to capture live cell behavior is proposed, with minimal phototoxicity compared to traditional bright-field and fluorescence microscopy. The approach is suitable for long-term live cell imaging with super-high temporal resolution, as demonstrated by continuous exposure experiments on fibroblasts and hepatoma cells.
ANALYTICAL METHODS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Andreas Boden, Francesca Pennacchietti, Giovanna Coceano, Martina Damenti, Michael Ratz, Ilaria Testa
Summary: A new 3D pRESOLFT microscope method with sub-80-nm resolution has been developed to visualize the volumetric architecture of organelles and molecules inside whole living cells, allowing for targeted 3D confinement of fluorescence and observation of dynamic structural alterations in cells.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhilun Zhao, Chen Chen, Shixuan Wei, Hanqing Xiong, Fanghao Hu, Yupeng Miao, Tianwei Jin, Wei Min
Summary: Raman-active nanoparticles (Rdots) with ultra-brightness and compact sizes are developed for high-resolution imaging of complex biological networks and immunostaining of specific protein targets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Optics
Herbert Schneckenburger, Verena Richter
Summary: This short overview discusses 3D live cell imaging, relevant samples, challenges like optical sectioning and phototoxicity, and enhanced microscopy methods with some examples and applications. Future advancements may involve increasing microscopic resolution and utilizing molecular sensing techniques.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qian Wang, Zhenzhen Feng, Hua He, Xiang Hu, Jian Mao, Xiaoliang Chen, Lihua Liu, Xiaoyun Wei, Di Liu, Simin Bi, Xiaojuan Wang, Baosheng Ge, Daoyong Yu, Fang Huang
Summary: The study introduces a method to develop non-blinking and photoresistant fluorescent carbon dots by introducing multiple aromatic domains onto a single carbon dot, demonstrating their great potential for imaging and tracking receptors on a live cell membrane.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yvette W. H. Koh, Yu Hung, Neeraj Tuladhar, Zhijian Xiao, Darren L. Brown, Nicholas D. Condon, Jennifer L. Stow
Summary: Macropinocytosis is a crucial process for the uptake and ingestion of fluid, nutrients, and materials in cells. Fluorescent dextrans are commonly used as markers to visualize macropinosomes, and live imaging with high concentrations of fluorescent dextran can optimize the imaging of dextran uptake for easy segmentation and quantification. This method allows for the visualization of macropinosome features and can be applied to various experimental settings.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Danielle M. Paul, Judith Mantell, Ufuk Borucu, Jennifer Coombs, Katherine J. Surridge, John M. Squire, Paul Verkade, Mark P. Dodding
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Jenkins, J. Mantell, C. Neal, A. Gholinia, P. Verkade, A. H. Nobbs, B. Su
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Andreas Walter, Perrine Paul-Gilloteaux, Birgit Plochberger, Ludek Sefc, Paul Verkade, Julia G. Mannheim, Paul Slezak, Angelika Unterhuber, Martina Marchetti-Deschmann, Manfred Ogris, Katja Buehler, Dror Fixler, Stefan H. Geyer, Wolfgang J. Weninger, Martin Gloesmann, Stephan Handschu, Thomas Wanek
FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Eliza B. Wolfson, Johanna Elvidge, Amin Tahoun, Trudi Gillespie, Judith Mantell, Sean P. McAteer, Yannick Rossez, Edith Paxton, Fiona Lane, Darren J. Shaw, Andrew C. Gill, Jo Stevens, Paul Verkade, Ariel Blocker, Arvind Mahajan, David L. Gally
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johanna M. Galloway, Harriet E. Bray, Deborah K. Shoemark, Lorna R. Hodgson, Jennifer Coombs, Judith M. Mantell, Ruth S. Rose, James F. Ross, Caroline Morris, Robert L. Harniman, Christopher W. Wood, Christopher Arthur, Paul Verkade, Derek N. Woolfson
Summary: The design and assembly of peptide-based materials have advanced, allowing for the formation of fibrous, sheet, and nanoparticle structures.
A novel peptide system has been developed, where the strategic placement of a disulfide pin between secondary structure elements can lead to the formation of nanoparticles or sheets.
Computational modeling and advanced microscopy have shown that proximally pinned hairpins self-assemble into nanoparticles, while distally pinned constructs form sheets, offering a versatile approach for designing peptide-based materials.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
E. A. Rog-Zielinska, R. Moss, W. Kaltenbacher, J. Greiner, P. Verkade, G. Seemann, P. Kohl, M. B. Cannell
Summary: Detailed knowledge of the ultrastructure of intracellular compartments is essential for understanding cell function, particularly in cardiac muscle cells where the close apposition of transverse-tubule (TT) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes supports excitation-contraction coupling. Using ultra-rapid high-pressure freezing and electron microscopy, the study compared the fine structure of TT and SR in rabbit and mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes. The results suggest that HPF-preserved samples exhibit larger SR terminal cisternae and provide novel insights into the cardiac physiology of TT and SR ultrastructure.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Amber Knapp-Wilson, Goncalo C. Pereira, Emma Buzzard, Holly C. Ford, Andrew Richardson, Robin A. Corey, Chris Neal, Paul Verkade, Andrew P. Halestrap, Vicki A. M. Gold, Patricia E. Kuwabara, Ian Collinson
Summary: The study demonstrates that disruption or reduction of the mitochondrial complex I component NDUFA11 results in instability of mitochondrial supercomplexes, impaired respiratory function, impacting animal development and mitochondrial morphology. This highlights the importance of mitochondrial respiratory complex integrity and suggests that perturbation of it may lead to mitochondrial diseases.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Ugis Sarkans, Wah Chiu, Lucy Collinson, Michele C. Darrow, Jan Ellenberg, David Grunwald, Jean-Karim Heriche, Andrii Iudin, Gabriel G. Martins, Terry Meehan, Kedar Narayan, Ardan Patwardhan, Matthew Robert Geoffrey Russell, Helen R. Saibil, Caterina Strambio-De-Castillia, Jason R. Swedlow, Christian Tischer, Virginie Uhlmann, Paul Verkade, Mary Barlow, Omer Bayraktar, Ewan Birney, Cesare Catavitello, Christopher Cawthorne, Stephan Wagner-Conrad, Elizabeth Duke, Perrine Paul-Gilloteaux, Emmanuel Gustin, Maria Harkiolaki, Pasi Kankaanpaa, Thomas Lemberger, Jo McEntyre, Josh Moore, Andrew W. Nicholls, Shuichi Onami, Helen Parkinson, Maddy Parsons, Marina Romanchikova, Nicholas Sofroniew, Jim Swoger, Nadine Utz, Lenard M. Voortman, Frances Wong, Peijun Zhang, Gerard J. Kleywegt, Alvis Brazma
Summary: The study proposes draft metadata guidelines to address the needs of diverse communities within light and electron microscopy, with the hope of stimulating discussions about their implementation and future extension.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yan Qiu, Stanley Buffonge, Raina Ramnath, Sophie Jenner, Sarah Fawaz, Kenton P. Arkill, Chris Neal, Paul Verkade, Stephen J. White, Melanie Hezzell, Andrew H. J. Salmon, M-Saadeh Suleiman, Gavin Welsh, Rebecca R. Foster, Paolo Madeddu, Simon C. Satchell
Summary: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a serious complication of diabetes that is characterized by diastolic dysfunction and can progress to heart failure. This study suggests that damage to the endothelial glycocalyx in the coronary microcirculation may contribute to increased microvascular permeability and impaired cardiac function in diabetes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christine Toelzer, Kapil Gupta, Sathish K. N. Yadav, Lorna Hodgson, Maia Kavanagh Williamson, Dora Buzas, Ufuk Borucu, Kyle Powers, Richard Stenner, Kate Vasileiou, Frederic Garzoni, Daniel Fitzgerald, Christine Payre, Gunjan Gautam, Gerard Lambeau, Andrew D. Davidson, Paul Verkade, Martin Frank, Imre Berger, Christiane Schaffitzel
Summary: This study reveals the importance of fatty acid binding in pathogenic coronavirus infection and replication. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants bind to a fatty acid called linoleic acid, which stabilizes the locked conformation of the spike protein and interferes with virus infectivity. In contrast, a mutation in a common cold-causing coronavirus abolishes this binding. Treatment with linoleic acid inhibits viral replication and reduces the number of deformed virus particles. These findings suggest that targeting fatty acid binding could be a potential strategy for combating COVID-19.
Editorial Material
Anatomy & Morphology
Katia Cortese, Paul Verkade
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2023)
Review
Anatomy & Morphology
Hugh Tanner, Olivia Sherwin, Paul Verkade
Summary: Imaging is a crucial technology in biomedical research, but each technique only offers specific information. The combination of light and electron microscopy in CLEM allows for the advantages of both techniques. However, finding suitable markers for a Correlative Microscopy workflow remains a challenge.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lucy M. Collinson, Carles Bosch, Anwen Bullen, Jemima J. Burden, Raffaella Carzaniga, Cheng Cheng, Michele C. Darrow, Georgina Fletcher, Errin Johnson, Kedar Narayan, Christopher J. Peddie, Martyn Winn, Charles Wood, Ardan Patwardhan, Gerard J. Kleywegt, Paul Verkade
Summary: Volume electron microscopy (vEM) is a set of techniques that can reveal the 3D structure of cells and tissues at depths of at least 1 micrometer. An emerging grassroots community effort is rapidly showcasing the impact of vEM technology in life sciences and clinical research.
Article
Optics
Iestyn Pope, Hugh Tanner, Francesco Masia, Lukas Payne, Kenton Paul Arkill, Judith Mantell, Wolfgang Langbein, Paola Borri, Paul Verkade
Summary: In this study, small gold nanoparticles were used as a single probe for correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM). The nanoparticles were bound to epidermal growth factor protein and precisely located in human cancer cells using light microscopy with four-wave mixing (FWM). The corresponding transmission electron microscopy images showed high accuracy in the correlation mapping. By reducing systematic errors, the correlation accuracy was improved to below 40 nm, and the localization precision was below 10 nm. Polarization-resolved FWM correlated with nanoparticle shapes, promising future applications in multiplexing through shape recognition. The photostability of gold nanoparticles and the applicability of FWM microscopy to living cells make FWM-CLEM a powerful alternative to fluorescence-based methods.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gaya P. Yadav, Haiyuan Wang, Joke Ouwendijk, Stephen Cross, Qiaochu Wang, Feng Qin, Paul Verkade, Michael X. Zhu, Qiu-Xing Jiang
Summary: Regulated secretion is a common process in all eukaryotes, where granin family proteins, such as chromogranin B (CHGB), play a crucial role. The study shows that CHGB is distributed in both soluble and membrane-bound forms, and both can reconstitute highly selective anion channels in the membrane. The research also reveals the presence of CHGB at granule membranes and describes the structure of the CHGB dimer, which is capable of forming large single channel conductance. Together, these findings indicate that CHGB-containing channels are important for regulated secretion and granule ion homeostasis.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)