Imaging of chromosome segregation, gene expression and development in living cells

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Recent advances in molecular biological techniques allows individual proteins and locations in cells to be fluorescently tagged in living cells. Using a high powered microscope we are able to film these cells as they grow, divide and interact with one another. This real-time imaging allows us to obtain detailed quantitative information about how long cellular processes take to complete, what sort of variation exists in different cells, and how perturbing either the genetic make-up of cells or their environment changes cellular events. In addition, we can observe how cells grow and move, and then interact with each other to begin forming three dimensional structures that are the forerunners of human organs. As above, we can see how changing both the internal and external environment of these cells change their behavior. We are requesting funds to upgrade an existing microscope so that we can grow cells in ideal temperature, nutrient and environmental conditions, and image them over long periods of time. This equipment will also allow us to automate the acquisition of images so that we can collect data from many cells simultaneously - increasing the amount of data we collect, and decreasing the time wasted monitoring the microscope during long experiments.