Quantitative label-free imaging of electrical activities in cells

项目摘要 细胞中的电活动在许多重要的生物过程中起着关键作用，包括脑信号前处理， 心脏功能，伤口愈合和其他发育过程。目前，使用最广泛的 用于研究细胞电活动的实验工具测量局部电流或电压， 微电极或微量移液管。虽然敏感，但它缺乏空间分辨率，并且可能是侵入性的。开发一 非侵入性和敏感的技术，可以成像细胞中的小电信号，具有高空间和TEM， 临时决议一直是一个长期目标。这个更新项目开发了一种基于等离子体的电子 阻抗显微镜（P-EIM）用于细胞中电信号的无标记成像。显微镜将 电信号转换为等离子体信号，其被光学成像。在取得实质性初步成果的基础上， PI建议开发P-EIM的新功能，用于研究细胞电活动， 使用参考技术确定其性能，并确定关键应用，包括成像行动 神经元中的电位传播、药物诱导的离子通道活性变化以及 细胞在伤口愈合过程中。这个项目的成功将导致一个新的工具，研究电气 在现有技术无法实现的时间和空间分辨率的小区中的活动。这 新的无标记成像工具将为生物过程中电活动的作用提供新的见解， 以及筛选靶向神经元和心脏功能、伤口愈合和其他疾病的药物的新方法。 心理过程。

PROJECT SUMMARY Electrical activities in cells play key roles in many important biological processes, including brain signal pro- cessing, cardiac functions, wound healing and other developmental processes. Currently, the most widely used experimental tool for studying the cellular electrical activities measures a local electrical current or voltage with a microelectrode or micropipette. While sensitive, it lacks spatial resolution and can be invasive. Developing a non-invasive and sensitive technology that can image small electrical signals in cells with high spatial and tem- poral resolutions has been a long-standing goal. This renewal project develops a plasmonic-based electrical impedance microscope (P-EIM) for label-free imaging of electrical signals in cells. The microscope converts an electrical signal to a plasmonic signal, which is imaged optically. Building on the success of substantial prelimi- nary studies, the PI propose to develop a new capability of P-EIM for studying cellular electrical activities, vali- date its performance using reference technologies, and establish key applications, including imaging action potential propagations in neurons, drug induced ion channel activity changes, and potential distributions in cells during wound healing processes. The success of this project will lead to a new tool for studying electrical activities in cells with temporal and spatial resolutions that are not possible with the existing technologies. This new label-free imaging tool will provide new insights into the roles of electrical activities in biological processes, and a new method for screening drugs targeting neuronal and cardiac functions, wound healing and other de- velopmental processes.