Understanding how cell division mistakes lead to human disorders

BSC1 cells during cell division imaged on a DeltaVision Imaging System

Imaging technology supplied by Preston-based Image Solutions (UK) Ltd (Imsol) is helping scientists at the University of Sussex’s Centre for Genome Damage and Stability (CGDS) to get a better understanding of how mistakes made during the process of cell division can lead to disorders and diseases within humans.

The CGDS houses 16 research groups, all focused on different aspects of DNA damage responses and genome instability. One of the groups, managed by Wellcome Trust

Senior Fellow Dr Helfrid Hochegger, uses Imsol’s DeltaVision Core and Personal DV imaging systems in order to better understand the activities of enzymes known as kinases. Successful cell separation depends on kinase activity and as a result they are one of the most studied of all enzyme families.


“My lab is very focused on imaging because we are looking at cell cycle division, especially mitosis. We are particularly interested in the centrosome which organises the dynamics of cell separation. Many kinases are involved in this activity and we are trying to understand how they interact by using markers in human and avian tissue culture cells,” says Dr Hochegger.

In order to track these markers through the cell, Dr Hochegger and his team have to take 60 images through 300nm-thick slices of living tissue in just 30 seconds. In addition, the images have to be taken with a very short exposure time of just 50mS as any longer would damage the cells that are being studied.

“We film the whole cell and then use deconvolution to reconstruct the image. That’s why we need a very sensitive camera and a very stable 3D imaging system. DeltaVision Core and Personal DV are the best solutions because of their control of 3D imaging and ability to optimise it. This is the gold standard for this type of work,” he added.

Imsol’s DeltaVision Core is designed to increase a laboratory’s ability to image more probes and samples over longer periods of time than any competitive imaging system, while the Personal DV is an integrated, bench-top solution designed for speed and economy.

“Dr Hochegger’s systems are effectively standard, out-of-the-box solutions that include an ultra high sensitivity EMCCD camera in the Personal DV configuration to prevent photo-toxic cell damage,” said Mr. Ian Corless, MD of Image Solutions (UK) Ltd.

“Imsol’s service is very good and they are a very easy company to work with. I certainly couldn’t have completed my most recent work on how kinases control the dynamics of cell separation without their equipment,” concluded Dr. Hochegger.

Image Solutions (UK) Ltd