Unlocking the workings of cells with smart colors | Web engineering

ENGINEERINGNET.BE – Under special fluorescent microscopes, these dyes emit colored light in the cells.

Cell biologists can use this colored light to identify parts of cells or substances in the cell.

Assistant professor Joachim Goedhart from the University of Amsterdam distinguishes between two types of labels. The “dumb” labels only make parts of the cell visible.

The “smart” labels can also describe what is happening in the cell and indicate the presence of specific molecules.

Both types of labels are widely used, for example for labeling cancer cells, monitoring virus infections in cells, and analyzing neural networks in the brain.

However, the vesicles do not work equally well for all cell types, and they emit less and less light over time.

That is why the Molecular Cytology research group aims to optimize the vesicles by tuning with the DNA code of the vesicles and making many variables.

In the end, they choose the best label for specific applications. They use advanced microscopes from the van Leeuwenhoek Center for Advanced Microscopy (LCAM)-FNWI.

When optimizing the labels, the researchers select on different characteristics. Goedhart: ‘With the stupid labels you want the colors to be very bright and to continue to emit a constant light, because we will be monitoring them for a long time.’

In addition, the leaflets must not damage the cell. Smart labels must also be able to mimic a specific cellular process well.

An example of a smart label is a calcium label to measure the calcium level in a cell. The light intensity of the label depends on the concentration of calcium in the cell, but also on external factors, such as the position of the microscope.

So Goedhart’s research group has developed a new label. The scientists can use this to measure the calcium level based on the life of the label.

Goedhart is also enthusiastic about his work with light-sensitive proteins in cells that stick together under the influence of light. With these proteins, specific cellular processes can be controlled by light.

Neurologists use this technology to activate or deactivate neurons.

Goedhart’s research group has optimized these light-sensitive proteins for research on cavity walls, in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC.

Goedhart: ‘Some cells in your blood vessels are a barrier so that your blood does not enter your body. We have been able to use this technology to bring the cells together better, so that they form a better barrier. This way you can use light to control the shape and behavior of these cells. It’s great that this is possible.’