Frontiers in BioImaging: Label-free microscopy
Session organisers: Prof Gail McConnell and Dr Peter O'Toole
Wednesday 2nd July from 13.30-15.00
Live cell imaging with molecularly specific contrast is a particular strength of fluorescence microscopy, permitting the dynamic observation of events at the subcellular level in four dimensions. However, fluorescence techniques also have limitations due to the size of the probes which can modify biological activity, and their photochemical properties, in particular rapid photo-bleaching, may restrict the period of study and cause unwanted imaging artefacts. Label free imaging strategies are very much gaining traction. This session will focus on two separate label free techniques. Coherent Raman microscopy enables non-invasive tomographic imaging of molecular species in innovative materials and living matter with high specificity at sub-wavelength resolution by probing natural molecular vibrations, whilst phase imaging techniques such as ptychography and holography are enabling quantitative whole cell analysis with multiple applications. Recent innovations in instrumentation have given rise to innumerable applications in label-free biomedical imaging. This session will report on both advances in imaging technologies and application.