Label-free 3D morphological nanoscopy for studying sub-cellular dynamics in live cancer cells with high spatio-temporal resolution

Información del proyecto

3D-nanoMorph

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 804233

DOI

10.3030/804233

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de la firma de la CE 25 Octubre 2018

Fecha de inicio 1 Julio 2019

Fecha de finalización 30 Junio 2025

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Coste total

€ 1 499 999,00

Aportación de la UE

€ 1 499 999,00

Coordinado por

UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE - NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - 3D-nanoMorph (Label-free 3D morphological nanoscopy for studying sub-cellular dynamics in live cancer cells with high spatio-temporal resolution)

Período documentado: 2022-07-01 hasta 2023-12-31

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

There is a need for label-free nanoscopes (i.e. microscopes that do not use fluorescence labels and support <250 nm resolution, which is beyond the diffraction barrier) so that living biological cells can be imaged in their most natural and unperturbed state possible. This need is being addressed here. The data from such microscopes is expected to hold vital clues to sub-cellular mechanisms of life-critical functions of cells and therefore assist in disease understanding and eventual drug design that address such mechanisms. The technology developed in this project will be used for imaging autophagy processes, which are known to be of significant interest in cancer progression and intervention.

The overall objectives are

• To kick-start a new research field at the nexus of nanoscopy and non-linear inverse scattering.
• To harness the advantages of non-linear inverse scattering into the field of label free nanoscopy, overcoming the long-standing limitations of diffraction barrier.
• To demonstrate 3D-nanoMorph’s immense utility in biology and life-sciences by imaging the degradation of sub-cellular organelles in real-time during autophagy in cancer cells, opening up new possibilities for cancer research.

3D-nanoMorph’s objectives will be achieved through devising a novel imaging system, developing novel inverse scattering algorithm, and applying the technology for imaging autophagy of live cancer cells.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

Invention disclosure of certain imaging system designs have been submitted. Several articles on computational microscopy have been published. We have investigated different illumination options as well as instrumentation options. We have developed a platform design for the instrumentation. We have been investigating different algorithm options for the microscope. We have also been implementing other label-free imaging techniques for benchmarking the performance of our technique when it is eventually developed.

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

At the end of the project, we expect to develop a label-free nanoscopy technology, i.e. an imaging technology that does not use any form of fluorescent labels and provides a resolution superior to that supported by conventional label-free optical microscopes. We would have demonstrated the principle of symbiotic development of instrument and algorithm for achieving results beyond the state-of-the-art. We will have demonstrated the results on living cells and correlated our results with exogeneous labels in the cells that are helpful for studying autophagy.