HP Innovation Journal Issue 10: Fall 2018 | Page 69

LIVE CELL IMAGING: A PATH TO PHYSICAL REALITY YANG LEI VIKTOR SHKOLNIKOV DAISY XIN Senior Research Scientist, Print Adjacencies and 3D Lab, HP Senior Research Scientist, Print Adjacencies and 3D Lab, HP Research Scientist, Print Adjacencies and 3D Lab, HP A single cell can tell you a lot about your body. In health care, measuring and understanding single cells has a significant impact on effective patient treatment and ultimately more precise diagnoses and precision medicine. Studies about cellular function rely heavily on the visualization and tracking of molecules— both on the surface of cells and within them. Visualizing 3D cell structures enables exact studies of distinct cellular mechanisms and interactions, providing greater insights into cell biology than 2D cell imaging. 3D IMAGING Two structures that appear to overlap in 2D studies may not actually be touching each other. 3D reconstruction makes that distinction apparent. For example, during cell division, 3D information provides additional angles and insights about how chromosomes are condensed and divided (Figure 1). Figure 1 Chromosomes during cell division in 2D imaging vs. 3D imaging. Source: Mora-Bermúdez et al. Nat Cell Biol 2007. (https://www.nature.com/articles/ncb1606) Early Career Talents Innovation 69