I joined the tour of the Dundee imaging facility (DIF), led by the DIF manager Paul Appleton and Prof. Ian Ganley accompanied by two postdoctoral members of his lab, Aniketh Bishnu and Lea Wilhelm.
This area of the lab houses some incredibly valuable imaging equipment, both in terms of its cost and in terms of the information that it provides to researchers. Imaging via powerful ‘microscopy’ is a crucial technique that allows the scientists to look inside defined cell types, such as dopaminergic neurons that degenerate in Parkinson’s, and see if certain parts of the cell are altered under certain conditions. This is very important in figuring out what is going wrong in the cell and causing this disease.
The tour began with a demonstration of how to prepare samples, from cells to brain tissue, for high resolution microscopy. We watched Aniketh slice a mouse brain sample into incredibly thin tiny slices that then have to be carefully mounted onto slides to be observed under the microscope.
We then had a demonstration of how powerful high-resolution microscopy is for the research. We were able to clearly see sub-cellular structures in human derived cells and in dopaminergic neurons from mice brain. Some of these structures measured less than a millionth of a metre. These microscopes can also be used to analyse living cells, which have been created in the lab and then changed, in the way some brain cells are changed by PD. Indeed, cells can be left under the microscope for several hours while regular images are taken, providing valuable insights into dynamic processes and movements within the cells over time.
In PD, normal cellular processes can become dysfunctional and understanding these cellular malfunctions, by using high resolution imaging, is crucial for identifying the root causes of PD. This knowledge is essential for designing and developing drugs that can correct these problems. Ultimately, we hope this research will provide the necessary insights to propose strategies that may slow down, or perhaps even reverse, the processes damaging brain cells in people with Parkinson's disease.
Jo Goodburn, Secretary Dundee Research Interest Group