Original story from The Australian National University (Canberra, Australia). A new nanoscopy technique developed at The Australian National University (Canberra, Australia) has uncovered hidden networks used for cell-to-cell communication, opening new ways to understand human diseases. Published in Nature Communications, the breakthrough allows researchers to observe how living cells interact with their environment over several days, revealing three-dimensional behaviors that were previously invisible to conventional microscopes. “Using gentle, label-free imaging means we can finally witness the secret, dynamic life of cells in real time and 3D,” commented senior investigator Steve Lee from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University. “The technique allows for faster and more accurate breakthroughs in how we understand and treat human disease at the nanoscale.” The team used the new method, RO-iSCAT, to observe thin, thread-like nanoscale extensions from cells. Over days of continuous imaging, these structures were seen extending, retracting and reconnecting, forming intricate networks that transfer biochemical messages to neighboring cells. Lead author and PhD researcher Junyu Liu helped develop the new nanoscopy technique by rotating the angle of light illuminating the sample and combining images at different heights. “Under rotational illumination, the background noise is stripped away, revealing various nanoscale cellular structures in three dimensions,” Liu explained. The team began experimenting with how the three-dimensional tracking technique can measure the often elusive, thread-like cellular nanoscale extensions, which are critical for almost all cellular signalling, communication and movement. “Our technique boosts a nearly undetectable amount of light signal bouncing…
