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)
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