Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) is a label-free real-time evanescent wave microscopy with a potential that has yet to be fully realized. SPRI has been recently applied to the measurements of live cells and patterned extracellular matrix proteins. SPRI sensitivity appears to be uniquely suited to visualize a dynamic range that transitions from the molecular to the macromolecular: specifically the cell contacts with an extracellular patterned substrate and the protein patterns themselves. Understanding how cells interact with and modify their extracellular environment is difficult to measure; yet crucial measurement is necessary for fundamental understanding of areas such as wound healing, tissue development, cancerous cell invasion, and stem cell differentiation. Development of SPRI as a quantitative microscopy has the potential to contribute immensely to these critical areas of cell biology. Challenges include design and development of a multimodal SPR imaging apparatus that tethers this new imaging mode with traditional microscopy techniques such as phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy for validation and corroboration. Development of combined multimodal image analysis to use orthogonal and complementary imaging methods allowing for benchmarking and confidence in interpretation of the SPRI results would need to be realized. Possible project goals and applications could involve investigating extracellular effects on stem cell lineage and differentiation, metastatic cancer cell degradation of cell matrix, and investigation of extracellular matrix conditions on recombinant protein producing cell lines for optimized protein secretion.

 

References

Peterson AW, et al: Cytometry Part A 77A: 895, 2010

Peterson AW, et al: BMC Cell Biology l0(1): l6, 2009

 

Keywords:

Surface Plasmon; Imaging; SPR; Microscopy; Extracellular; Matrix; Cells; Protein; Secretion; Adhesion; Cytometry;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants