Low-Power Stimulated Raman Time-Lapse Microscope for Tracking Dynamics and Fate of Lipid Droplets in Glioma Cells

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Project Summary/Abstract Lipid droplets (LDs) is highly dynamic cellular organelles that play multiple functions in cell lipid metabolism. Reprogramming of lipid metabolism is now considered a hallmark of cancer. LDs accumulate within the cancer cells due to multiple reasons, but the mechanism has not been fully understood. In this project, we will develop new technologies to image the dynamics of LDs in cancer cells. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a powerful tool to image label-free LDs in live cells and tissue. However, the laser power used in SRS imaging is too high to conduct long-term time-lapse imaging of live cells. The objective of this AREA project is to establish a low-laser-power time-lapse stimulated Raman microscope and use the imaging platform to depict the dynamics and fate of label-free LDs for understanding their function in glioma progression and their role as a potential therapeutic target. Specific aims include tracking the dynamics and life cycle of lipid droplets formation and degradation in glioma cells and tracking migration and invasion of glioma cells in cultured organotypic mouse brain tissue. The results of this project will advance our understanding on the condition-specific roles of LDs in cancer survival and aggressiveness and will provide new clues to target LDs for potential therapeutic intervention. This AREA project would expose one PhD student and nine undergraduate students to hands on research under the PI’s supervision. Through conducting this project, the research environment at the Binghamton University will be beneficially enhanced in the field of health science and biophotonics.