Ptychography

The biggest challenge for many live cell researchers is to characterise individual cells without impacting their behaviour through the act of monitoring them. Whilst the use of fluorescent labels allows both cells and cellular functions to be visualised, the levels of illumination needed to excite the fluorophores can alter innate properties of cells, with the associated cytoxicity limiting the scope, duration and integrity of any experiment.

This has led the emergence of label-free techniques, which exploit the inherent contrast of cellular components to create images, allowing cells to be tracked and monitored over longer periods of time.  However, for many such techniques, constraints caused by low levels of contrast preclude the automated segmentation of individual cells and by association the capability to differentiate them based on subtle differences in their morphology and motion.

The LiveCyte™ imaging & cell analysis system from Phasefocus addresses these limitations by employing Ptychographic Quantitative phase imaging (QPI). This new modality leverages phase shift information to generate high contrast cell images without labels and under low levels of light intensity, allowing individual cells to be identified and tracked for prolonged periods without the need for perturbing labels. This ability to image under a more natural environment with reduced risk of phototoxicity not only supports the use of sensitive cell types such as primary and stem cells, but also enables viable cells to be recovered for subsequent experimentation or downstream analysis, giving it broad spectrum appeal and for clinical applications in particular.

ATA Scientific offers the LiveCyte cell imaging and analysis system from Phasefocus. LiveCyte represents a rapid and cost effective means of gaining deeper insights into biological processes associated with a wide range of disease conditions with positive implications for drug discovery and development of personalised medicine.

At ATA Scientific we sell innovative instruments from leading manufacturers in the particle, surface, life and material sciences. Our suppliers include some of the world’s most well-regarded companies such as Malvern Panalytical, Phenom World, Biolin Scientific, Avestin, Jasco, Precision Nanosystems, Phasefocus and Logos Biosystems.

Our scientific instruments are used by Universities, the CSIRO and by companies in a range of different industries including the pharmaceutical, polymer, chemical and mining sectors. We also provide our clients with long term support to ensure they get the best out of our products and services. Over the past 27 years, ATA Scientific has provided a range of technical services including operator training, preventative maintenance and instrument breakdown repair.