Quantitative Microscopy and Tomography of Live Cells

Quantitative Phase Microscopy

Quantitative phase imaging is a new optical approach that promises to revolutionize microscopy studies in cell biology. It provides biologists with a tool to study static and dynamic physical properties of live cells quantitatively, without exogenous contrast agents.  For past several years, there has been considerable work on the development of quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) techniques at the LBRC. This includes, for example, the use of a harmonically-related pair of wavelengths and a phase-referenced interferometer. In the recent past, several QPM techniques have been developed that include:

• Fourier phase microscopy
• Heterodyne Mach-Zehnder phase microscopy
• Hilbert phase microscopy
• Diffraction phase microscopy
• Spectroscopic phase microscopy
• Speckle contrast phase microscopy
• Quantitative DIC microscopy

These techniques have been employed to determine dry mass, refractive index of live cells and dynamic of cells such as cell’s membrane fluctuations and cell’s motion. Currently, the LBRC is developing advanced transmission and reflection phase microscopes for biological applications:

• Low coherence diffraction phase microscopy
• Wide-field dispersion phase microscopy
• Line-field reflection phase microscopy
• Wide-field reflection phase microscopy

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