Multiphoton Confocal Laser Scanning-Microscope

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The requested microscope system enables multi photon excitation for image acquisition deep within living tissue, realtime imaging and emission acquisition that is filter-free and yields direct spectral information in combination with standard confocal realtime imaging. This system will therefore facilitate the investigation of physiologically and clinically relevant processes and mechanisms in vivo, in situ and in single cells. Based on this, we plan to generate a detailed three dimensional reconstruction of the excitation-contraction system in human induced pluripotent-derived cardiac myocytes and study their contraction behavior with a label-free optical approach. We will also study the mechanisms underlying cardiac impulse generation and propagation in the isolated sinoatrial node in situ. Furthermore, we will investigate subcellular calcium signals in gonadotrope cells in “whole mount” pituitary gland preparations in three different compartments simultaneously (i.e. in the cytosol, the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum). Results from these studies will provide insight into the spatiotemporal organization of hormone-secreting cell populations within the gland and shed light on the mechanisms underlying the synchronisation of these cells to release appropriate hormone pulses depending on the hormonal status of the animal. We also plan to investigate the role of sensory cells in the airway epithelium. In other projects we plan to investigate the role of sensory cells in the airway epithelium and their transient receptor potential channels. We aim at resolving the detailed mechanisms leading to stimulation of these sensory epithelial cells. Moreover we will address their direct role in innate and adaptive immunity and in transmission of perception to the nervous system. For this we will employ various transgenic mouse models expressing genetically encoded calcium sensors and calcium imaging in situ and in vivo.