Imaging Life Across the Scales - Integrated BioImaging

by Manfred Auer, LBNL (Life Sciences Division)

Wednesday 27 Aug 2014, 12:00 → 13:00 US/Pacific

15-253 (LBNL)

Abstract: Our understanding of life requires the imaging of life's complexity ranging from the structure of individual macromolecules, such as proteins, over the precise shape of macromolecular machines to the 3D architecture of cellular organelles, whole cells as well as tissues and/or microbial communities/biofilms. Using several examples of ongoing research in my lab, ranging from the molecular understanding of our senses of hearing and balance in hair cells, and the identity of the tip link protein over mammary gland development and breast cancer model systems to plant cell wall 3D architecture and also microbial community organization, I will demonstrate the power of novel advanced electron microscopy imaging, and the role that cross-platiform sample preparation/sample preservation, contrast generation, correlative imaging as well as sophisticated image analysis plays in this ambitious endeavor. I will describe the current state of the art of bioimaging, and its current limitations as well as its huge potential for solving important biological and health-related problems. I will show that apart from cross-modality sample preparation and contrast generation (which are reasonably well solved problems) the key limitation is on the image analysis side, including 3D visualization, segmentation, data simplification and model building as well as simulations, which will allow the biological discipline to be more quantitatively and this nothing short of turning biology into an engineering discipline.