Fast and background-free three-dimensional (3D) live-cell imaging with lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Live-cell imaging is crucial for understanding cellular dynamics.
• Traditional methods face limitations in spatiotemporal resolution and background noise.
• Upconverting nanoparticles offer unique optical properties for bioimaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high spatiotemporal resolution 3D live-cell imaging technique.
• To utilize lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) for enhanced imaging.
• To investigate cellular dynamics requiring 3D spatial information.

Main Methods:

• Employing wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy for 2D section image acquisition.
• Utilizing near-infrared (NIR) excitation for UCNPs to minimize autofluorescence.
• Implementing an image reconstruction process to eliminate defocusing blur.

Main Results:

• Achieved high spatiotemporal resolution 3D live-cell imaging.
• Reduced background noise through NIR excitation and UCNP properties.
• Successfully reconstructed 3D images by eliminating defocusing artifacts.

Conclusions:

• The developed UCNP-based 3D imaging technique offers superior performance for live-cell studies.
• This method enables detailed investigation of cellular dynamics like nuclear uptake and single-particle tracking.
• The technique holds promise for advancing live-cell microscopy and biological research.