We are proposing to continue our development of polarized light microscopy techniques for analyzing the architectural dynamics inside living cells, tissues and whole organisms. We propose to add comprehensive polarization analysis to two multi-view imaging techniques, the dual-view plane illumination microscope, or diSPIM, and the light-field microscope. Both types of polarized light microscopes represent significant new developments that for the first time enable the measurement of molecular orientation parameters in three dimensions at high spatial (0.5m in all three dimensions) and temporal (faster than 1Hz) resolution. The project includes the development of the hardware, software and algorithms required for capturing multi-view image data and their tomographic reconstruction into 3-dimensional maps of birefringence and polarized fluorescence. The instrument development is guided by several application projects including the remodeling of the extracellular collagen matrix by fibroblast cells and the spatial coordination in the assembly of higher order septin structures inside eukaryotic cells. Information about the technology, including software components and instrument design that are developed under this grant, will be made available for users and developers on an established web portal called OpenPolScope.org.

Public Health Relevance

The microscope instrumentation developed under this grant will have applications in medical research and clinical settings. The cell biological application projects that will be forthcoming under this grant will have broad implications for our understanding of cell division and cellular remodeling of tissue, which are fundamental processes in health and disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Unknown (R35)
Project #
1R35GM131843-01
Application #
9699750
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Sammak, Paul J
Project Start
2019-06-01
Project End
2024-03-31
Budget Start
2019-06-01
Budget End
2020-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Marine Biological Laboratory
Department
Type
DUNS #
001933779
City
Woods Hole
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02543