Tuneable multifocal plane microscopy for high frame rate three-dimensional fluorescence microscopy of cilia/flagella

鞭毛和纤毛是细胞表面的突出物，具有运动、信号和感觉功能，具有在真核生物中发现的高度保守的分子骨架。鞭毛运动的一个有用的模型是墨西哥利什曼原虫（L. mexicana），一种具有单个运动鞭毛的原生动物寄生虫。墨西哥乳杆菌是分化最广的真核生物之一，也是被忽视的热带病利什曼病的病原。鞭毛有许多重要的作用，从细胞运动延伸到形态发生、载体附着和潜在的感觉接收。因此，在这种模式生物中研究鞭毛可以调查真核生物和寄生虫特异性鞭毛生物学相关的问题。该项目旨在通过与凯恩研究所合作开发新的显微镜技术来阐明鞭毛生物学的结构和功能方面，以可视化游动的L. mexicana细胞中的鞭毛。建议研究的BBSRC优先领域涉及：世界一流的基础生物科学、健康生物科学、开发新的工作方式

Flagella and cilia are protrusion from cell surfaces with motility, signalling and sensory functions, possessing a highly conserved molecular skeleton found across eukaryotic life. One useful model of flagellar motility is Leishmania mexicana (L. mexicana), a protozoan parasite possessing a single motile flagellum. L. mexicana is one of the most diverged eukaryotes, and the aetiological agent of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. The flagellum has a multitude of important roles, extending beyond cell motility to morphogenesis, vector attachment and, potentially, sensory reception. Therefore, studying flagella in this model organism allows the investigation of questions relating to both eukaryotic-wide and parasite-specific flagellar biology. This project aims to elucidate structural and functional aspects of flagellar biology by developing new microscopy techniques in collaboration with Cairn Research Institute to visualise the flagella in swimming L. mexicana cells.BBSRC priority areas the proposed research addressed:World-Class Underpinning BioscienceBioscience for HealthExploiting New Ways of Working