Events

Prof John Girkin, Looking Deeply in Living Biology

Date: Wednesday 11 March 2015 15:00 - 16:00

Location: Willoughby Lecture Theatre, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square

SPEAKER: Prof John Girkin, Director Biophysical Sciences Institute, Durham University.

TITLE: “Looking Deeply in Living Biology”

ABSTRACT: Since its invention around 400 years ago optical microscopy has played a crucial role in biology, as observation is the key component of all science. In many cases the ultimate test is to observe subcellular events in vivo and this clearly creates challenges; namely sample movement and the distortion of the images as one observes ever more deeply within the sample. This presentation will explore the recent advances in imaging methods to overcome these issues. Work will be presented in which live beating Zebrafish hearts have been imaged in real time with micron resolution through novel methods of optical gating. Using a single plane illumination microscope combined with adaptive optics (more normally used in optical telescopes) we have been able to image at depth within a range of live samples with both high spatial and temporal resolution. Using a novel micro-endoscope imaging of endothelial cells in intact and pressurised blood vessels will be linked with a mathematical simulations to explain the effect of hypertension on individual and cell networks responses.

This will be followed by tea and biscuits at 4 pm in The Shield.