New Microscope Aims to Reveal Root Cause of Bowel Disease
Researchers working at the Rosalind Franklin Institute in Oxfordshire hope a one-of-a-kind microscope nicknamed Curie will reveal the root cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As the number of young people diagnosed with debilitating and incurable bowel conditions grows globally, the advanced technology operates at 10 times the resolution of conventional light microscopy to examine cellular structures down to 20nm in size.
Understanding Inflammatory Bowel Disease Mechanisms
According to the British Society of Gastroenterology, more than half a million people in the UK live with inflammatory bowel disease, which primarily manifests as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. While these conditions can develop at any age, experts note they are most frequently diagnosed between 15 and 40, disrupting critical years for education, career development, and personal relationships. Dr. Karina Pombo-Garcia, a group leader at the Rosalind Franklin Institute located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, explained the clinical necessity of the new device to the Guardian.
What this microscope technology and what the science we do in the lab can bring is really to understand the mechanism [of IBD] better. With IBD, and with other many diseases that we collaborate with other groups to study
Inside the Technology of Curie
The microscope features a black casing, grey hoses, and numerous wires, operating quietly despite its advanced capabilities. This specific technology earned its inventors the Nobel prize in physics in 2014. In this setup, features of interest within cells are labeled with fluorescent tags that absorb energy from a first laser beam and emit light. A second, doughnut-shaped laser beam overlaps the illuminated area, switching off fluorescence within its outer ring. This allows researchers to detect fluorescence exclusively from the center of the doughnut, distinguishing structures much closer together than standard fluorescence microscopes permit.
Additionally, the microscope incorporates deformable mirrors capable of correcting optical distortions caused by samples. Pombo-Garcia noted that these mirrors enable researchers to obtain clear images from deeper within relatively thick tissues and mini-organs. The device also features a temperature-controlled stage, allowing living cells and mini-organs to be studied under conditions approximating normal body temperature.
Investigating Cellular Barriers and Future Treatments
Dimitrios Ioannidis, a PhD student working with the equipment, uses the microscope to investigate how cells lining internal organs, including the intestines, create protective barriers. According to details shared with Hirunews.lk, researchers utilize specific protein complexes for this process that may change over time. Ioannidis stated that the equipment visualizes these complexes beyond the limits of conventional microscopes, allowing him to examine structural changes from fetal development to adulthood. By establishing what healthy tissue looks like and comparing it to diseased tissue, researchers aim to identify what goes wrong in patients with conditions like IBD.
The microscope was officially unveiled by science minister Chris McDonald.
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