Studying Cell Dynamics and Function with CLASS Microscopy

Confocal light absorption and scattering spectroscopic (CLASS) microscopy is a novel optical technique for observing submicron intracellular structures in living cells. It allows monitoring nondestructively cell function and cell dynamics in vivo and in real time. CLASS microscopy, having accuracy well beyond the diffraction limit, does not require cell fixation as the electron microscopy. In addition, it provides not only size information but also information about the biochemical and physical properties of the cell. CLASS microscopy can also visualize multiple compartments inside of living cell without employing exogenous molecular markers which are required by fluorescence microscopy and which can affect normal cell functioning. Recently we improved our CLASS microscope by utilizing the full power output of the supercontinuum laser and used it to study apoptosis in live cells.