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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 9, 2026

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Label-Free Imaging of Single Microtubule Dynamics Using Spatial Light Interference Microscopy.

Mikhail E Kandel1, Kai Wen Teng1, Paul R Selvin1

  • 1Quantitative Light Imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, ‡Center for the Physics of Living Cells, §Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, ∥Department of Physics, and ⊥Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.

ACS Nano
|December 21, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Label-free spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) enables long-term imaging of single microtubules without fluorescent tags. This technique overcomes limitations of photobleaching and phototoxicity, offering new insights into molecular motor activity.

Keywords:
cellular cytoskeletonhigh-sensitivity detectionlabel-freemicroscopymicrotubulesquantitative phase imagingsingle particle imaging

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Single microtubules (24 nm diameter) are difficult to image without extrinsic contrast agents.
  • Fluorescence tagging is common but limited by photobleaching and phototoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate label-free imaging of single microtubules using spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM).
  • To analyze microtubule dynamics and molecular motor activity over extended periods.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) combined with numerical processing.
  • Acquired optical path length maps from four intensity images with sub-nanometer sensitivity.
  • Modeled microtubule transport using the diffusion-advection equation.

Main Results:

  • SLIM enabled label-free imaging of microtubule dynamics over large fields of view (200 × 200 μm²) for many hours.
  • Dispersion relation analysis provided velocity distribution without individual tracking.
  • Observed microtubule deceleration (100 pm/s²) over a 20-minute period within a 2-hour window.

Conclusions:

  • SLIM is a valuable tool for studying molecular motor activity, especially over long timescales.
  • This label-free approach overcomes limitations of fluorescence microscopy for microtubule dynamics research.