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The main goal of the Cell Imaging subproject is the
development and improvement of existing microscopic technologies for the
production of multidimensional high-resolution microscopy devices for in vivo
cellular and sub-cellular imaging.
Particular aims are:
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Improvement and development of microscopic fluorescence
approaches for imaging at the cellular level:
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Develop multi-parameter fluorescence imaging
instrumentation for non-invasive or minimally invasive imaging of
functional contrast in living biological systems. We shall develop
wide-field fluorescence imaging systems that simultaneously resolve 2 or
3 spatial dimensions as well as lifetime, wavelength and/or polarization
of the fluorescent signal.
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Develop new compact all-solid state laser technology
for continuously tunable excitation wavelengths to permit optimal
excitation of fluorophores and simultaneous multiple excitation
wavelength capability for rapid functional imaging of multiple labels.
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Improvement and development of instrumentation for
cellular imaging at the nanoscale level, namely: Multimode Scanning Force
Microscopy, Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy, Spatially Modulated
Intensity microscopy, Stimulated Emission Depletion, and Total Internal
Reflection.
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Provide the knowledge, methods and techniques
complementary for the development of novel high-resolution micro devices for
sub-cellular imaging and understanding of photobleaching results.
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Use the above mentioned technologies for FRET imaging in
vivo and apply photobleaching techniques (FRAP, FLIP) to characterize
kinetics of macromolecules.
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Testing the collectively improved technologies for their
appropriateness to answer biological questions in specific model systems:
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Signalling at the plasma membrane
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Signal transfer via microtubular transport in
neuronal cells
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Molecular events in the nucleus during lymphocyte
development
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Monitoring of a gene activation pathway
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Molecular events in the nucleus during erythroid
development
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Novel approaches to follow interstitial migration of
lymphocytes
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Dynamics of long range interactions
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Chromatin remodelling and gene activation
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Transport through the nuclear pore complexes
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