Metabolic Imaging & Tissue engineering Group News

Our team is growing and we can present at the same time in two different places now! PhD candidate Nore Van Loon (joint project with FunGen lab, Prof. S. Vergult) gave a talk at the Methods and Applications of Fluorescence 2024 conference (8-11 September Valencia, Spain)! She presented her work in progress on using autofluorescence and fluorescent cholera toxin labelling to monitor differentiation of neural cells in human iPSC-derived 'brain' organoids. This work is a part of ongoing efforts of bringing together multi-omics approaches and advanced imaging of organoids to better understand aetiology of such neurodevelopmental disorders as FOXG1 syndrome, funded by the Special Research Fund at Ghent University (BOF) and Marguerite-Marie Delacroix foundation. At the same time, Prof. Ruslan Dmitriev travelled to Munster, Germany, to present an invited lecture on imaging oxygenation and cell metabolism in multicellular spheroids in 4th Inflammation & Imaging symposium! This l

ALERT: New publication from our group! Angela, Gabriele, Hang, Nore, Nina and Irina teamed up to produce a video protocol paper, focusing on comparing various multicellular spheroid formation methods, suitable for 'downstream' live multi-parameter fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and imaging cell oxygenation. This protocol is illustrated with examples of autofluorescence-based FLIM microscopy of NAD(P)H, oxygenation and cell death, as well as imaging of visible flavin-based cell autofluorescence, performed in tumour and stem cell-derived spheroids. The article is also a part of the Methods collection 'Quantitative Live Cell Imaging of 3D Models', which is going to expand in the future.    Link to the publication: https://www.jove.com/t/66845/production-multi-parameter-live-cell-fluorescence-lifetime-imaging The Methods Collection (Journal of Visualised Experiments, JOVE):  https://app.jove.com/methods-collections/902

It's been busy, it's been tough but it's been also fun! Our team has trained a number of MSc students, with excellent projects, spanning the scope from establishment of novel organoid models, to testing of mechanical properties of the hydrogel-producing biomaterials on the small intestinal epithelium organoids and FLIM analysis of neural ('brain') iPSC-derived organoids. Thanks to everyone involved! The end of year (June) was culminated in presenting of research at Ghent Gut Inflammation Group (Ruslan, Irina, Hang, Lenie) and participating (as instructors, Ruslan and Michele) in the FEBS course on Functional Imaging of cellular dynamics (Amsterdam, 9-15 June 2024)!         Stay tuned for more exciting news on our research!

(video: time lapse FLIM of endocytosis in human colon cancer cells using LysoSensor Green, (C) Dmitriev Lab, 2023) The period of ~October 2023 until ~May 2024 (almost complete academic year!) was too busy for publishing any updates but thanks for staying tuned (if you did so). Some key updates for this period: Successful start of FLIMagin3D project, with the 3 new PhD students (Hang, Michele and Gabriele) + visiting (via secondments) PhD students, joining our team to address challenges in multi-parameter FLIM of organoids and multicellular spheroids, advancing imaging & probes for cell oxygenation, FLIM-FRET, tissue mechanics and biofabricated inter-species communities. More about the FLIMagin3D can be found here:  https://www.flimagin3d.com/   Some visiting scientists with exciting projects, including Dr. A. Russegger, R. Harkhoe, partners from OsteoNet Horizon MSCA Staff Exchange network Our group (including the microscopes!) has relocated to the new 'The Core' / MREB3 re

We will attend and present at TERMIS-EU 2023 (Manchester, UK, 28-31 March 2023)! Prof. R. Dmitriev will co-chair (together with Prof. M. Monaghan, Trinity College Dublin) and present at the symposium ' Wanted: dead or alive? Quantitative microscopy of single-cell, spheroid and organoid cultures': Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) to study niche-specific regions and metabolism in epithelial organoids More on the program and the event can be found here .

Prof. Ruslan Dmitriev and PhD candidate Angela Debruyne collaborated with TU Graz (Prof. S. Borisov) and University of Tubingen on the design of new type of the nanothermometer, based on organic Zr complexes and exhibiting long emission decay times. These materials open a new framework for microsecond-range emitting temperature-sensitive materials, providing better resolution and potential applications in imaging temperature gradients in multicellular spheroids, as we have demonstrated in the study. The research has been published in Advanced Optical Materials journal. Russegger A, Debruyne AC, Berrio DC, Fuchs S, Marzi J, Schenke-Layland K, Dmitriev RI, Borisov SM: Bright and Photostable TADF-Emitting Zirconium(IV) Pyridinedipyrrolide Complexes: Efficient Dyes for Decay Time-Based Temperature Sensing and Imaging . Advanced Optical Materials 2023,:2202720. If you are interested in our research in nanothermometry, expertise and dedicated nanosensors, do not hesitate to contact us.