Spectroscopic label-free light scattering microscopy of chromatin organization and dynamics in live cells

Nanoscale changes in the nuclear structure have been shown to play a critical role in genetic and transcriptional alterations and are a hallmark of neoplasia. Genomic processes are regulated by chromatin packing density, thus underlying the significance of understanding the subnuclear structure and its role in the regulation of molecular processes. However, the dynamic and multiscale aspects of these phenomena have remained an open problem. The key reason is the lack of technologies for label-free nanoscale-sensitive measurements in live cells. We have developed confocal light absorption and scattering spectroscopic (CLASS) microscopy for label-free chromatin sensing in live cells.