Dr Shan Shan Kou

School of Physics, The University of Melbourne

Abstract:

Little is known about the response of live cells to external
stimuli. Such dynamic structural and morphological information will permit
access to unprecedented biomedical data that can improve our understanding of
complex cellular mechanisms such as their death and degeneration, metabolic
activity, drug reactions, etc. This capability will, therefore, open
doors to the development of new therapeutic approaches. Quantitative phase
imaging (QPI), which converts spatial phase variations into intensity contrast
and provides sensitivity down to nanometers, is a perfect candidate to
complement fluorescence techniques at a comparable spatial resolution. To date,
however, capabilities for obtaining quantitative metrology in QPI, especially
3D data, are limited. Methods for improving 3D imaging performance in QPI
include tomography by introducing spatial rotations, or sectioning from
coherence gating. Rotation is more suitable for coherent systems such as
holography, while sectioning is better suited to partially coherent systems
such as the differential interference (DIC) microscope.

In this presentation, I will provide an overview of these
recent developments, with particular focus on a few novel techniques that will
underpin the final goal of “super-resolved” 3D microscopy.