Project description
Studying the mechanical properties of cells in real time
Cells have complex mechanical properties that are important for their functions and interactions with their environment. These properties include stiffness, elasticity, viscosity, adhesion, and contractility, and can change in response to mechanical forces, biochemical signals, and pathophysiology. Brillouin microscopy is an imaging technique that can measure certain mechanical properties of biological samples and provide important insights into their physiological and pathological states. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the IVBM-4PAP project aims to improve the acquisition times required in Brillouin microscopy, offering a valuable tool for studying biological processes in real time and identifying pathogenic states of cells.
Objective
The role and importance of mechanical properties of cells and tissues in cellular function, development and disease has widely been
acknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability
and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive,
label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in
3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition
time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to
follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging
acquisacknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive, label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in 3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging acquisition time limitation by applying the heterodyne detection scheme, allowing the collection of viscoelastic properties in living sample at a sub-second timescale. We will attempt solving specific physio-pathological open problems in biomedicine for the first time.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC GrantsCoordinator
16163 Genova
Italy