Imaging of molecular functions in cells with nanometer accuracy and constructing models to explain them

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Molecular Science for Nanomedicine
• Project/Area Number: 23107002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Science and Engineering
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Hideo 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 教授 (90165093)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 茅 元司 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00422098)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 1分子 / 1粒子 / 細胞 / 運動 / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We took in vivo and in vitro images of single molecules and particles in mice and culture cells to understand the function of molecules. In vivo imaging, we images neutrophil labeled with quantum dots and cancer cells expressing tubulin-GFP in mouse auricles by spinning confocal microscope. The individual cancer cells, neutrophils and vesicles transporting in the neutrophil in mice were clear observed even at high spatiotemporal resolution of ~10ms and ~10nm. The speed of vesicle transport was much higher than that in purified cells.
To understand the damage of cancer cells quantitatively for cancer therapy, we took the phase contrast images of cancer cells and analyzed the intensity fluctuation (standard deviation of intensity) of each pixels in images. The magnitude of the fluctuation decreased with progress of cell damages. Long term observation of the fluctuation is available to detect the cell damage.

Free Research Field

生物物理学