Improving specificity and axial spatial resolution of refractive index imaging by exploiting uncorrelated subcellular dynamics

TL;DR

This paper enhances holotomography by exploiting uncorrelated subcellular dynamics to improve axial resolution and molecular specificity, enabling more detailed and dynamic cellular imaging.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method that leverages intrinsic cellular motions to significantly improve the axial resolution and molecular specificity of refractive index imaging.

Findings

Enhanced axial resolution through dynamic motion analysis

Extraction of uncorrelated signals reveals new cellular dynamics

Potential for improved understanding of cellular responses

Abstract

Holotomography, a three-dimensional quantitative phase imaging technique, presents an innovative, non-invasive approach to studying biological samples by exploiting the refractive index as an intrinsic imaging contrast. Despite offering label-free quantitative imaging capabilities, its potential in cell biology research has been stifled due to limitations in molecular specificity and axial resolution. Here, we propose and experimentally validate a solution to overcome these constraints by capitalizing on the intrinsic dynamic movements of subcellular organelles and biological molecules within living cells. Our findings elucidate that leveraging such sample motions enhances axial resolution. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the extraction of uncorrelated dynamic signals from refractive index distributions unveils a trove of previously unexplored dynamic imaging data. This enriched dataset paves the way for fresh insights into cellular morphologic dynamics and the metabolic shifts occurring in response to external stimuli. This promising development could broaden the utility of holotomography in cell biology.