Biomolecular Imaging
Description
The imaging of molecules in living systems continues to advance contemporary biomedical and biophysical research. Such imaging reveals intra-and inter-cellular dynamics, as well as subcellular structure, the properties of membranes, and the molecular trafficking of proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules. Groups in Penn Chemistry develop of methods for imaging of the localization, structure and dynamics of molecules, with applications to cellular and molecular biology, physiology and biomedicine, as well as understanding of disease and developmental biology. Much of this work is done in vitro with biological molecules, but efforts are ongoing to extend these studies of molecules within living cells and animals. These studies are facilitated by an in-house biological imaging center that contains state-of-the-art confocal microscopes and a laser-based total internal reflectance microscope.
Confocal fluorescence microscopy imaging of a giant unilamellar vesicle (a
spherical lipid bilayer membrane with diameter about 50 μm), which serves as
a biomembrane model; These vesicles are made from a mixture of three lipids
that are chosen to mimic biomembrane compositions. Fluid ordered membrane
phase: blue; fluid disordered membrane phase: red. Vesicles are stained with
trace amounts of a fluorescent lipid analog (Lissaminerhodamine DOPE, red
fluorescence), and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon naphthopyrene (blue).
Baumgart Group
