Projects per year
Abstract
Important dynamic processes in mechanobiology remain elusive due to a lack of tools to image the small cellular forces at play with sufficient speed and throughput. Here, we introduce a fast, interference-based force imaging method that uses the illumination of an elastic deformable microcavity with two rapidly alternating wavelengths to map forces. We show real-time acquisition and processing of data, obtain images of mechanical activity while scanning across a cell culture, and investigate sub-second fluctuations of the piconewton forces exerted by macrophage podosomes. We also demonstrate force imaging of beating neonatal cardiomyocytes at 100 fps which reveals mechanical aspects of spontaneous oscillatory contraction waves in between the main contraction cycles. These examples illustrate the wider potential of our technique for monitoring cellular forces with high throughput and excellent temporal resolution.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 3552 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Jun 2021 |
Keywords
- Cell adhesion
- Cellular imagining
- IMagining techniques
- Interference microscopy
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Dive into the research topics of 'Real-time imaging of cellular forces using optical interference'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Resonant and shaped photonics for under: Resonant and shaped photonics for understanding the physical and biomedical world
Dholakia, K. (PI) & Gather, M. C. (CoI)
1/08/17 → 31/07/22
Project: Standard
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H2020 ERC Starting Grant ABLASE: H2020 ERC Starting Grant ABLASE (Grant Agreement No. 640012)
Gather, M. C. (PI)
1/06/15 → 31/05/21
Project: Standard
Datasets
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Real-time imaging of cellular forces using optical interference (dataset)
Meek, A. T. (Creator), Kronenberg, N. M. (Creator), Morton, A. (Creator), Liehm, P. (Creator), Murawski, J. (Creator), Dalaka, E. (Creator), Booth, J. H. (Creator), Powis, S. J. (Creator) & Gather, M. C. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 26 Apr 2021
DOI: 10.17630/9b706387-c972-4c87-8c48-f492192590b1
Dataset
File