CellSurgeon - Applikationen
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Versatile applications
The ROWIAK CellSurgeon provides a powerful technology platform for precise and gentle nanosurgery in living cells. It is a versatile tool suitable for wide range of applications in biological, medical and pharmaceutical research. The combination of microscopic imaging techniques with laser nanodissection enables novel experimental approaches to study cellular processes such as metabolism, cell signalling, cell division or apoptosis as well as cell dynamics. Depending on laser pulse energies manipulation levels can vary from stimulation to remodelling or even to complete ablation of cell structures.
Optical perforation
One possible application is the optical perforation of cell membranes to enable the transfer of genes into living cells. By focussing the laser beam for a few milliseconds on the membrane, transient pores are created so that nucleic acids and proteins can enter into the cell. Compared to conventional tansfection techniques as the use of viral vectors, chemical carriers or electroporation, optical perforation considerably decreases the risk of cell damage.
ZMTH3 cells, transfected with pEGFP-HMGA2 by optical perforation, R: fluorescence image, L: brightfield image, with courtesy of Judith Baumgart, LZH Hanover.
Nanosurgery
From optical knockout of specific cell organelles to dissection of single cytoskeletal filaments - the CellSurgeon allows very precise and reproducible nanosurgical operations. Dissection and ablation of subcellular structures do not affect surrounding structures.
Endothelial cells before (R) and after (L) ablation of a single mitochondrion, by courtesy of Judith Baumgart, Laser center Hanover
Manipulation
The CellSurgeon is not only a nanodissecting instrument. Depending on the laser energy it is also possible to use the sytem for bleaching of labelled cell structures. A further potential application is the optical stimulation of cell organelles
GFP-labelled mitotic spindles (fission yeast Schizosaccaromyces pombe) L: bleaching, R: cutting/ ablation, with courtesy of Isabell Raabe, MPI of Cellular Biology & Genetics