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Strathclyde Playing a Crucial Role in Microscope Revolution
py News by Heather Hobbs
£1.7 Million Grant to Fill Major Gaps in our Understanding of Human Diseases
A new UK endeavour that will focus on gaining a much better understanding of major human diseases, like cancer and other medical concerns such as deafness and ageing, is to be undertaken by an STFC-MRC consortium, thanks to a £1.7 million grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC).
The project is bringing together ‘big science’ and ‘small science’, using technology developed for the study of the Universe to observe individual molecules inside living cells, and living cells inside organisms, at ultra-high definition and in 3D. It uses the adaptive optics techniques used to remove the ‘twinkle’ of a star caused by atmospheric distortion to create clearer images at the molecular level where a similar imaging challenge exists due to the distortions created by the murky environment deep inside cells. It is also bringing together experts in imaging with biological and medical researchers, allowing the fundamental processes at play in diseases to be examined much more closely than ever before.
Mitochondria: Copyright MRC LMB/MBU*
Left shows structured illumination microscopy (SIM) super resolution image of actin fibres (green) and mitochondria (red) in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Stained with MitoTracker Red CMXRos for labeling mitochondria, Alexa Fluor 488 phalloidin for labeling F-actin. Scale bar 5 microns.
The image on the left shows the same sample as a conventional wide field fluorescence image. SIM super resolution resolution by a factor of about 2 in X, Y and Z.
Biomedical research across the UK – including a pioneering University of Strathclyde project – is to benefit from a £25.5 million cash injection to boost the resolution revolution in microscope technology.
Three of the UK's research councils - the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – have invested £20.1 million, £2.4 million and £2 million respectively, to establish 17 microscopy platforms that will bring about ground- breaking advances in biological and biomedical research.
These include a £1.7 million MRC award to a Strathclyde team led by Professor Gail McConnell, of the Centre for Biophotonics, to develop a prototype of a unique lens capable of producing stunning, laser- scanned 3D images of disease tissues, with sufficient detail to see inside individual cells.
Professor Steve Hill, who chaired the expert panel which assessed the proposals, said: “Microscopy is one of the most important tools scientists have for discovery-based research but the high costs associated with this technology are often a barrier to expansion. This funding is crucial to help the UK capitalise on the latest technologies and maintain its internationally leading position in biological and biomedical research.
”This type of microscopy relies on scientists in very different disciplines coming together to solve very specific imaging problems. All 17 projects were able to demonstrate extremely strong partnerships between biologists, physicists, chemists, mathematicians, engineers, technologists and equipment manufacturers.”
*LMB/MBU = MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology/Mitochondrial Biology Unit
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Marisa Martin-Fernandez, project leader for STFC, said: “This project is a springboard to bring together the different biomedical imaging groups on the Harwell Oxford campus, and will create a unique resource for UK scientists to help the translation of fundamental research into the clinic.”
The grant has been awarded to a consortium based at the campus, formed by the Central Laser Facility (CLF), the Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH) and MRC Harwell under the Next Generation Optical Microscopy call. Preliminary work funded by the Harwell
Imaging Partnership (HIP) was crucial in securing the grant.
Megan Morys, Harwell Oxford’s Innovation Manager, said “The campus is a melting-pot of expertise across many sectors and this is the latest in a series of collaborations facilitated by the close association of scientific organisations in this unique location. Imaging is a major technology strength at Harwell Oxford and we’re delighted to see this new partnership which will enable more ground-breaking research into human diseases. This is great work by all the partner organisations.”
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Major Investment in New Microscope Technologies
A project led by the University of York and the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute (CRUK LRI), aims to combine light and electron microscopes into a single system to analyse how cells and tissues change during disease and infection. It has been allocated £1 million from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of the current funding round of the cross-Council Next Generation Optical Microscopy initiative launched in May 2012. Additional investment from the University of York, CRUK and commercial collaborators is expected to raise the funding to £2 million.
The new light microscope combined with an electron microscope being developed at York is the only one of its kind in Europe. Applications include imaging of subcellular processes related to cancer, better understanding of tumour biology and cancer cell invasion, and new insights into neurodegenerative diseases.
The project is led by Dr Peter O’Toole of the Imaging & Cytometry Laboratory in York’s Department of Biology, in collaboration with
Dr Lucy Collinson of the Electron Microscopy Unit at CRUK LRI. Also involved are instrument manufacturers Jeol and DELMIC.
Dr O’Toole said: “Currently light microscopes allow us to watch real time events in cells and tissues so that we can understand basic biological functions and the changes that occur in disease and infection. Electron microscopes have taught us much about the fine details of cellular structures thanks to their fantastic resolution, but living material cannot be readily imaged and must be 'fixed' to halt the processes of life.
“Our approach is based on exploiting new ways of preparing cells and tissues, so that they can be seen simultaneously using light and electrons. This novel project will now combine the two microscopes to produce more informative images and help solve a multitude of biomedical questions.”
Dr Richard Treisman, Director of the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, said: “This exciting new initiative to combine light and electron microscopy in 3D will open a new window into how cells and tissues function in health and disease.
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