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EPFL news News feed from imaging
- A deep look into the progression of Parkinson's Disease
29.09.23 - Scientists at EPFL use cutting-edge imaging techniques to shed light on the progression of Parkinson's disease by studying how the main culprit, the protein alpha-synuclein, disrupts cellular metabolism. Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the deterioration of specific types of neurons in the brain, resulting in a number of motor and non-motor symptoms. It is currently estimated that more than 10 million people in the world are living with Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s. That number is expected to swell up to 14 million by 2040 in what is being referred to as the Parkinson’s pandemic. One of the key events in Parkinson's disease is the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein inside neurons. That accumulation disrupts the normal functioning of the cells, giving rise to the symptoms of Parkinson’s and other disorders, and progresses into aggregates called Lewy bodies. In a new study, researchers from two labs at EPFL have combined their expertise to explore how alpha-synuclein disrupts metabolic processes within neurons. The study is a truly interdisciplinary collaboration between the Bertarelli Platform for Gene Therapy of Bernard Schneider and the group of Anders Meibom at EPFL, with support from EPFL’s Bioelectron Microscopy Core Facility. The researchers used cutting-edge imaging techniques, including an analytical instrument called NanoSIMS (Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry). NanoSIMS is an “ion microprobe” that combines high spatial resolution (50-150 nm), high-resolution mass spectrometry, and high analytical sensitivity, which allow it to produce sub-cellular maps of metabolic turnover with extreme sensitivity. Meibom’s lab at EPFL has famously used NanoSIMS for a number of ecological and geological studies. In this study, the researchers combined NanoSIMS with stable isotope labeling, to visualize isotopic variations within tissues at high resolution, providing insights into the metabolic activity of individual cellular compartments and organelles. They combined this with Electron Microscopy to “see” more information from biological samples. An electron microscopy image with the corresponding NanoSIMS 13C map. Taken from Spataro et al 2023. To model Parkinson's disease, the team used genetically modified rats that overexpressed human alpha-synuclein in one hemisphere of the brain, leaving the other healthy as a control. By comparing the neurons overexpressing alpha-synuclein to those in the control hemisphere, the scientists uncovered significant changes in the way carbon molecules are incorporated and processed within neurons. One of the most remarkable findings was the effect of alpha-synuclein on the turnover of carbon within neurons. Neurons overexpressing alpha-synuclein showed a heightened overall turnover of macromolecules, suggesting that the accumulation of alpha-synuclein may lead to increased metabolic demands on these cells. The study also found changes in the distribution of carbon between different cellular compartments, such as the nucleus and cytoplasm, which may be influenced by alpha-synuclein's interaction with DNA and histones. The metabolic disruptions caused by alpha-synuclein also seem to affect specific organelles: Mitochondria, for example, showed abnormal carbon incorporation and turnover patterns, which agrees with previous studies showing that alpha-synuclein impairs mitochondrial function. Similarly, the Golgi apparatus – responsible for cellular trafficking and communication – exhibited metabolic defects that were likely caused by alpha-synuclein disrupting inter-organelle communication. “This study shows the potential of the NanoSIMS technology to reveal metabolic changes in the brain, with unprecedented resolution, at the subcellular level,” says Bernard Schneider. “It hands us a tool to study early pathological changes occurring in vulnerable neurons as a consequence of alpha-synuclein accumulation, a mechanism directly linked to Parkinson’s disease.” Other contributors Universiteit Utrecht Department of Earth Sciences University of Lausanne Center for Advanced Surface Analysis Nik Papageorgiou
EPFL news News feed from imaging
- A deep look into the progression of Parkinson's Disease
29.09.23 - Scientists at EPFL use cutting-edge imaging techniques to shed light on the progression of Parkinson's disease by studying how the main culprit, the protein alpha-synuclein, disrupts cellular metabolism. Parkinson's disease is a […]
- New imaging technique “sees” virus move in unprecedented detail
21.09.23 - EPFL scientists have developed a novel imaging technique to capture rapid protein dynamics. The technique, a microsecond, time-resolved version of cryogenic electron microscopy, allows them to observe the behavior of a virus in […]
- As physical and digital spaces intersect, new architectures emerge
20.09.23 - Opening this Friday, 22 September, the new EPFL Pavilions exhibition Cyber Physical: Architecture in Real Time presents four monumental, dynamic and immersive installations that transform our relationship to physical or digital spaces. […]
- Peering into Nanofluidic Mysteries One Photon at a Time
01.09.23 - EPFL and University of Manchester researchers unlock secrets of nanofluidics using a 2D material and light. A discovery in the field of nanofluidics could shake up our understanding of molecular behavior on the tiniest scales. Research […]
- “Like artists, good teachers have a trademark style”
19.06.23 - Michael Unser was born to an artist mother and scientist father, so both disciplines run through his veins. According to the professor – who was named best teacher in the microengineering section at EPFL for 2022 – it’s the ideal […]
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Imaging Grants.
To encourage cross-fertilization between various disciplines and closer interactions between EPFL actors in imaging, we have launched a “Call for Interdisciplinary Projects in Imaging”, a series of grants to support collaborative projects aimed at advancing imaging technology at EPFL.
Description
When it comes to generating 3D digital geometric models of historical buildings, the automation of methods is still limited. Existing research focused on sacral structures, on 3D model generation of the exterior envelope of buildings and on segmentation of interior spaces. The goal of this project is (i) to develop a data acquisition and post-processing… Continue reading 3D imaging of historical buildings
Status: Ongoing
Description
A key tool for studying the dynamics of living systems is the light microscope. Microscopes allow real-time recording of spontaneous or evoked spatio-temporal dynamics, data that can be used to develop models for how complex systems function. Today, cutting-edge microscopes can image below the diffraction limit of light (super-resolution microscopy), or over days, gently enough… Continue reading Spatiotemporal adaptive microscope control, driven by biological events
Status: Ongoing
Description
Many questions in biology, from development to neuroscience and medicine require the identification of finegrained behaviors. We will develop novel computer vision and natural language processing technology to improve behavioral analysis in biology and medicine. Specifically, we will build deep learning models that can efficiently learn joint representations from video and heterogeneous data sources (e.g.,… Continue reading Video-based action segmentation by learning world models from language
Status: Ongoing
Description
Next-generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) will observe the sky with unprecedented resolution, sensitivity, and survey speed. However, this precise instrument will demand reliable, precise, and high dynamic range deconvolution techniques to form images. The popular CLEAN algorithm, while efficient, often produces images of suboptimal quality. In recent years convex and… Continue reading Learned Scalable high Dynamic Range imaging in radio astronomy
Status:
Description
Scanning probe methods – and in particular, the combination of scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) – have emerged as unique tools for studying materials and mechanisms in complex, multistep chemical reactions such as CO2 reduction. However, they are notoriously slow in image acquisition, making them ill-suited for studying the dynamics of energy conversion processes. In this project, these two EPFL labs will develop advanced hardware and software components for a unique, fast SICM-SECM imaging method that can be easily deployed within the EPFL community, and beyond. Their method has great potential for the design of energy devices, as well as emerging cross-disciplinary applications such as the nanoelectrochemistry of single-cell signaling.
Status: Ongoing
Description
3D image reconstruction or depth estimation is at the core of applications in navigation as well as Earth system science. Significant advances have been made in the field of computer vision to obtain 3D information from various types of cameras. Yet, these techniques still face limitations for a number of applications. In this project, the… Continue reading A more effective 3D-imaging system for Earth System Science and Navigation
Status: Ongoing
Description
Each human cell contains around two meters of DNA tightly packaged in its nucleus. An exquisite organization is critical to ensure that the DNA can be accessed by the many important genetic processes. This organization is achieved by wrapping the DNA around millions of tiny protein spindles, forming a complex called chromatin. Chromatin governs many key cellular functions and, when malfunctions in its organization can lead to serious diseases.
Status: Ongoing
Description
In this project, scientists from two EPFL labs will combine their know-how to develop a new high-speed microscopy system that can reveal single-molecule dynamics with unprecedented detail, including in liquids. The system will also allow scientists to assess how individual molecules behave, interact and self-organize at the solid-liquid interface. More specifically, they will enhance the… Continue reading High-speed multimodal super-resolution microscopy
Status: Ongoing
Description
When it comes to characterizing mechanics at the cellular scale, the accuracy and precision of current methods are still limited. In this project, Prof. Kolinski and Prof. Persat will connect imaging to mechanical measurements by developing a set of hardware and software tools that can measure microscale 3D force fields and surface stresses.
Status: Ongoing
Description
Spatial transcriptomics – a nascent field arising from the combination of cutting-edge microscopy with gene-specific in-situ labeling – can be used to generate large gene expression profiles of messenger RNA. This gives scientists an indication of the relative expression rates of different genes in the same environment. EPFL scientists at these two labs are are… Continue reading Towards more accurate large-scale gene expression profiles
Status: Ongoing