Flexible 3D microscope for clearer images of cells and tissues
Omni Oblique Plane Microscope to spread light-sheet based imaging in biomedical research
This project builds a flexible 3D microscope to capture clearer, faster images of cells and tissues, including heart cells, to help researchers better understand disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258515 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a patient, know that researchers are building a universal light-sheet 3D microscope that can be reconfigured for many types of samples and imaging needs. The instrument will use modular components to switch between very gentle live-cell imaging and imaging of cleared organs and tissues while improving speed, resolution, and the volume that can be captured. To show medical relevance, the team will image human heart cells live and with super-resolution to see how candidate therapies change cells and to map calcium signaling patterns over time using time-series analysis. If successful, these modular improvements will be shared so more labs can use advanced 3D imaging in biomedical research.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with heart conditions or those able to donate cardiac tissue, blood, or cells, or participants in related clinical studies, would be the most likely candidates to provide samples for this work.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical care should not expect direct personal health benefits from this technology development project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could help scientists see how heart cells respond to therapies at a molecular level and accelerate development of better treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy is already successful in labs for fast, gentle 3D imaging, but creating a universal, modular platform and applying it to live human cardiomyocytes with super-resolution is a novel extension that is not yet widely tested clinically.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fiolka, Reto Paul — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Fiolka, Reto Paul
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.