Smart acquisition and data reduction for light-sheet microscopy of the cell cycle

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New developments in light microscopy are making possible previously impossible experiments, from super-resolution to high-speed imaging. One type of state-of-the-art microscope, the light-sheet microscope, is revolutionising cell biology by enabling very high speed three-dimensional imaging while projecting substantially less laser light into the sample. The result is a far gentler microscope than traditional laser-based microscopes and as a result cells can be observed for far longer without suffering phototoxic damage. It works by focusing a plane of light - a light sheet - onto the sample and then using a second lens to detect the emitted light from fluorescent molecules. Due to the high-speed image capture rate and the vastly lengthened safe imaging potential, light-sheet microscopes are set to produce truly "big data" with multiple terabytes per experiment.This project aims to develop new "smart" software to enable light-sheet microscopes to analyse the samples of cells being imaging and independently make decisions to adjust the imaging protocol. For example, the microscope will be able to focus down on cells only to avoid wasting space on the background and then among those cells select only those in mitosis - the process of cell division. The acquired data will then be quantitatively analysed for the motion of particles and to take fluorescence measurements to allow researchers immediate access to results while also automatically being subjected to data reduction to reduce the big data burden.