The significance of cell water content in cell biology

Michael Model

doi:10.1117/12.2511495

4 March 2019 The significance of cell water content in cell biology

Michael Model

Proceedings Volume 10887, Quantitative Phase Imaging V; 108871H (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2511495
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2019, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Biological applications of quantitative phase imaging (QPI) seem to lag behind technique development, and the purpose of this paper is to sketch the existing or anticipated cell biological problems that could possibly be resolved with the help of QPI. The phase delay reported by QPI is directly related to the amount of intracellular macromolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. Some QPI methods additionally allow the measurement of cell volume or are compatible with volume measurements by other techniques; the combination of phase and volume gives the local or cell-averaged concentration of macromolecules. This opens unique possibilities to study processes that are hardly amenable to other methods. The examples include: discrimination between anabolic growth and water accumulation or, conversely, between cell fragmentation and water loss; long-term maintenance of osmotic balance; studying metabolism on the organelle level; investigation of the effects of macromolecular crowding; detection of intracellular water gradients during cell chemotaxis. The need to relate observations to quantitative physiological models is emphasized.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Michael Model "The significance of cell water content in cell biology", Proc. SPIE 10887, Quantitative Phase Imaging V, 108871H (4 March 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2511495

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