A recent study from Uppsala University shows how smartphones can be used to make movies of living cells, without the need for expensive equipment. The study is published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, making it possible for laboratories around the world to do the same thing.
Live imaging of cells is a very powerful tool for the study of cells, to learn about how cells respond to different treatments such as drugs or toxins. However, microscopes and equipment for live imaging are often very expensive.
In the present study, old standard inverted microscopes that are very abundant at Universities and hospitals were upgraded to high quality live imaging stations using a few 3D-printed parts, off-the-shelf electronics, and a smartphone. It was shown that the resultant upgraded systems provided excellent cell culture conditions and enabled high-resolution imaging of living cells.
“What we have done in this project isn’t rocket science, but it shows you how 3D-printing will transform the way scientists work around the world. 3D-printing has the potential to give researchers with limited funding access to research methods that were previously too expensive,” says Johan Kreuger, senior lecturer at the Department of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University.
“The technology presented here can readily be adapted and modified according to the specific need of researchers, at a low cost. Indeed, in the future, it will be much more common that scientists create and modify their own research equipment, and this should greatly propel technology development,” says Johan Kreuger.
Learn more: Live cell imaging using a smartphone
[osd_subscribe categories=’live-cell-imaging’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “LIVE CELL IMAGING”‘]
Receive an email update when we add a new LIVE CELL IMAGING article.
The Latest on: Live cell imaging
[google_news title=”” keyword=”live cell imaging” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Live cell imaging
- In a first, scientists use new tech to see inside cancer cellson April 26, 2024 at 6:20 am
This technique might also help doctors understand how some cancer cells resist radiation treatment, among other benefits.
- Researchers unveil PI3K enzyme's dual accelerator and brake mechanismson April 24, 2024 at 7:31 am
A group of researchers have expanded conventional knowledge on a critical enzyme that controls cell migration. In a publication in the journal Nature Communications, they reported that ...
- Researching cancer by studying lipids cell by cellon April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A study has sampled single live cancer cells and measured the fatty lipid compounds inside them. The team saw how those cells transformed in response to changes in their environment.
- Scientists study lipids cell by cell, making new cancer research possibleon April 23, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Imagine being able to look inside a single cancer cell and see how it communicates with its neighbors. Scientists are celebrating a new technique that lets them study the fatty contents of cancer ...
- Study explores the effects of ovulation inducing method on embryo qualityon April 23, 2024 at 9:50 am
Low birth rates have become a serious problem in many developed countries throughout the world, with Japan being a prime example. In Japan particularly, aging and stress have led to a massive rise in ...
- Starving cells hijack protein transport stationson April 20, 2024 at 11:28 am
Study details how nutrient-starved cells divert protein transport stations to cellular recycling centers to be broken down, highlighting a novel approach cells use to deal with stressful conditions.
- Researchers Discover Innovative Way In Which Starving Cells Work; May Help In Developing New Treatmentson April 18, 2024 at 7:44 am
According to a new study, nutrient-starved cells divert protein transport stations to cellular recycling centres to be broken down, highlighting a novel approach cells use to deal with stressful ...
- Two lifeforms merge in once-in-a-billion-years evolutionary eventon April 18, 2024 at 12:46 am
Scientists have caught a once-in-a-billion-years evolutionary event in progress, as two lifeforms have merged into one organism that boasts abilities its peers would envy. Last time this happened, ...
- A better view with new mid-infrared nanoscopyon April 17, 2024 at 2:42 am
A team at the University of Tokyo have constructed an improved mid-infrared microscope, enabling them to see the structures inside living bacteria at the nanometer scale. Mid-infrared microscopy is ...
via Bing News