Shedding Light on Human Maladies

An Overview of Imaging Techniques and Their Applications in Medical and Cancer Research

Join in person or online for the second Biotech Connector of 2023. The Biotech Connector is a free quarterly networking and speaker series, hosted by the Frederick National Laboratory and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. The scientific event invites experts across disciplines and backgrounds for an inside look at local advances in innovative technologies in biological sciences to improve human health. 

This is free to attend. We just ask attendees register for the event.

Topics & Speakers

Advanced Imaging Techniques for Targeting and Understanding Mutant RAS Proteins | Tommy Turbyville, Frederick National Laboratory

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Abstract

Mutant RAS is a prevalent genetic abnormality found in approximately 30% of all human cancers, contributing to a staggering 1 million global deaths per year. While some advancements have been made in developing drugs to target RAS, there remains a critical need for more effective treatments. To address this, the RAS Initiative has adopted a multifaceted approach to identify gaps in our current understanding of RAS and leverage them to develop innovative strategies for targeting RAS. As a component of this effort, we have been utilizing various optical microscopy and imaging techniques. In this discussion, I will be highlighting some of these techniques and our results.

Bio

Tommy Turbyville, Ph.D. is the RAS Initiative Imaging Team Lead within the Cancer Research Technology Program. He was a Cancer Biology Ph.D. graduate from Tucson, AZ, who joined the Molecular Targets Laboratory at NCI Frederick as a postdoctoral researcher. In this role, he worked on assay development projects before moving on to a scientist position in the Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory. Here, he applied confocal microscopy to gain mechanistic insights into bioactive small molecules. Nine years ago, he transitioned to the RAS Initiative at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.

"As the leader of an imaging team, our current work focuses on characterizing KRAS in cell membranes using single molecule imaging techniques. Additionally, we are actively involved in building assays to identify small molecules that disrupt KRAS activity in cells."

Exploring New Dimensions in Cancer Cell Imaging with STELLARIS 8 FAst Lifetime CONtrast(FALCON) and Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) | Anastasiia Aleksandrova, Leica Microsystems, Inc.

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Abstract

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) explores lifetime as a characteristic parameter of each fluorescent molecule that may change with its nanoscopic surroundings. By combining lifetime measurements with high-resolution imaging FLIM delivers information about the spatial distribution of fluorescent molecules together with information about their nano-environment. This way an additional dimension of information is obtained.  Leica Microsystems’ STELLARIS 8 FALCON is an integrated solution for FLIM and enables video-rate lifetime imaging acquisition for rapid kinetic studies in live cells. This in turn allows following fast molecular interactions or using biosensors to detect changes in metabolic state and microenvironment. To further the functional imaging capabilities of STELLARIS 8, we introduce Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) microscopy. This enables researchers to implement label-free imaging of specific chemical bonds to acquire and correlate a wide range of biochemical and biophysical contrasts in addition to fluorescence intensity and lifetime information. This presentation will describe several new and published use cases for the above technologies in cancer research.

Bio

Dr. Anastasiia Aleksandrova is an Advanced Workflow Specialist-Confocal taking care of Leica Microsystems users in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. She holds a PhD in Cell Biology and Anatomy from the University of Kansas. She has completed her postdoctoral training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Throughout her academic work, Dr. Aleksandrova focused on using a variety of microscopy techniques to address mechanisms that govern cell motility in early embryonic development of the heart. Prior to joining Leica Microsystems, Dr. Aleksandrova worked in technical sales and application support roles in several other companies in the microscopy and bioinstrumentation space.

High-throughput All-Optical Electrophysiology Platforms for Human Cardiomyocyte Monitoring and Control | Emilia Entcheva, George Washington University

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Abstract

Animal models, especially transgenic rodent models, have enhanced our understanding of cardiovascular function at the molecular level. Yet, they come with some limitations in their relevance to human health and the suitability to assess personalized responses to treatment. In this talk, several technological approaches will be outlined to illustrate how we can build a pipeline for manipulating and characterizing human stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) in a high-throughput manner. The techniques involve microfluidics, non-contact optical methods for functional analysis coupled with newer scalable gene modulation methods and gene and protein quantification approaches. These efforts are meant to contribute to building a compelling framework for testing pharmacological and gene therapies for personalized medicine, including optimization of human experimental systems for cardiotoxicity testing, drug development and regenerative medicine applications.

Bio

Professor Emilia Entcheva directs the Cardiac Optogenetics and Optical Imaging Laboratory at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University. Her research group combines biophotonics tools with human stem-cell-derived cardiomyocyte technology and gene editing approaches to aid the advancement of personalized medicine. The lab played a key role in bringing optogenetic approaches to the cardiac field and validating their use experimentally and computationally. They have implemented highly parallel platforms for interrogation of cardiac function using human stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes. Recently, the lab has embarked on projects that leverage all-optical cardiac electrophysiology, on-demand oxygenation with perfluorocarbons, microfluidics, optical instrumentation and control, and transcriptomics analysis to help improve the maturity of engineered human heart tissues and their use in drug-screening applications. Professor Entcheva is an AIMBE Fellow, and her work is supported by the NSF and NIH.