Real time imaging system for cell and tissue cultures

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Biomedical research relies on the quantitative analysis of cell functions. These functions mostly occur in complex spatiotemporal and multicellular settings. Relevant examples are cell differentiation and migration, wound closure, cell outgrowth, spheroid formation, metabolic responses, programmed cell death, clonal outgrowth and intracellular signalling events. The quantitative analysis of these responses allows deeper insight in highly relevant pathologies, the identification of drug targets and the screening of drug effects for medical treatment purposes. This research requires time and locally resolved analysis methods. Over the past years a real time imaging system of the first generation has been established within the Medical Faculty and operated via the advanced light microscopy platform (ALMA). The system is now outdated since it is using only two fluorescence channels and its excitation settings can cause phototoxicity in long term live-cell experiments. Additionally, sterilisation is an important issue to make the system available for many users. Next generation systems offer numerous additional applications and software modules for quantitative analysis without phototoxicity issues and with several further fluorescence channels. Using H2O2 the sterilization problem can now be solved. The next generation systems allow to explore new applications such as metabolism or signalling together with other cell functions in parallel. Furthermore, novel software modules are available for automated image processing of complex cellular responses and automated quantitative analysis in high throughput format. Acquisition and operation of an up-to-date analysis system is requested by members of the Graduate School 2415 ME3T, the Transregio SFB 219, the SFB 1382, the Clinical Research Units KFO344 and KFO5011 as well as the IZKF Consortium Soft Tissue-Alveolar Bone Crosstalk of the Medical Faculty. The acquisition of a next generation imaging system thus represents an institutionally relevant infrastructural focus for the Medical Faculty and the RWTH Aachen University. The requested equipment will boost the Faculty members’ possibility to perform and publish high quality research, and to receive adequate third-party funding.