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Optical Diagnostics of Cellular Stress Metabolic responses of cells to
temperature, pharmaceuticals and other stress factors are of great interest to
biology, medicine, and environmental analysis. Several highly invasive
techniques are currently used for monitoring cellular response to stress
(staining, histology, and genetic manipulation). Applicability of these
techniques is generally limited since they disturb cellular metabolism.
Additionally, these techniques are too slow for real-time diagnostics.
Monitoring cellular reaction to therapy in real time would significantly
improve treatments and lower the risk of undesirable side effects. In manifold ways, the response of cells to
stress factors results in changes of subcellular structures. This can be the
expression of proteins, the change of their conformation and/or
concentration. All these effects result in changes of the refractive indices
and/or the sizes and shapes of cellular organelles. We work on a non-invasive technique in
which the information about changes in refractive index, size and shape of
the cellular organelles is obtained using light scattering spectroscopy.
Particle sizes down to 100nm in diameter can be measured using light within
the spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Since the information is obtained
optically and without any staining this technique is rapid and non-invasive.
Changes in refractive indices of organelles reflect the enhanced metabolic
activity in cells, and it can be used as a universal marker for detection and monitoring of cellular
stress. Such technique may provide the real-time diagnostics and dosimetry
thus strongly benefiting medical procedures that involve significant heating
of tissue. It can also be applied for monitoring the effects of
pharmaceuticals and for detection of toxins in the environment. This project is conducted in collaboration with the group of
professor Lev Perelman from the |
