Mechanism of silica deposition in sorghum silica cells.

Grasses take up silicic acid from soil and deposit it in their leaves as solid silica. This mineral, comprising 1-10% of the grass dry weight, improves plants' tolerance to various stresses. The mechanisms promoting stress tolerance are mostly unknown, and even the mineralization process is poorly understood.

Gold Nanorods Based Air Scanning Electron Microscopy and Diffusion Reflection Imaging for Mapping Tumor Margins in Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

A critical challenge arising during a surgical procedure for tumor removal is the determination of tumor margins. Gold nanorods (GNRs) conjugated to epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) (GNRs-EGFR) have long been used in the detection of cancerous cells as the expression of EGFR dramatically increases once the tissue becomes cancerous. Optical techniques for the identification of these GNRs-EGFR in tumor are intensively developed based on the unique scattering and absorption properties of the GNRs.

Study of Osteoclast Adhesion to Cortical Bone Surfaces: A Correlative Microscopy Approach for Concomitant Imaging of Cellular Dynamics and Surface Modifications.

Bone remodeling relies on the coordinated functioning of osteoblasts, bone-forming cells, and osteoclasts, bone-resorbing cells. The effects of specific chemical and physical bone features on the osteoclast adhesive apparatus, the sealing zone ring, and their relation to resorption functionality are still not well-understood. We designed and implemented a correlative imaging method that enables monitoring of the same area of bone surface by time-lapse light microscopy, electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy before, during, and after exposure to osteoclasts.

Introduction of correlative light and airSEM™ microscopy imaging for tissue research under ambient conditions.

A complete fingerprint of a tissue sample requires a detailed description of its cellular and extracellular components while minimizing artifacts. We introduce the application of a novel scanning electron microscope (airSEM™) in conjunction with light microscopy for functional analysis of tissue preparations at nanometric resolution (<10 nm) and under ambient conditions. Our metal-staining protocols enable easy and detailed visualization of tissues and their extracellular scaffolds.

Photothermal bundle measurement of phantoms and blood as a proof of concept for oxygenation saturation measurement.

This study's objective is to validate a method for the measurement of two compound phantoms as a proof of concept for oxygen saturation level measurement via a thermal imaging bundle. The method consists of a thermal imaging system and an algorithm which estimates the compound concentration according to temperature rise. A temperature rise is obtained by illuminating the tissue with a laser with different wavelengths in the NIR range and measured using a thermal camera.

Thermal imaging method for estimating oxygen saturation.

The objective of this study is to develop a minimal invasive thermal imaging method to determine the oxygenation level of an internal tissue. In this method, the tissue is illuminated using an optical fiber by several wavelengths in the visible and near-IR range. Each wavelength is absorbed by the tissue and thus causes increase in its temperature.