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3D holographic imaging for studies of melanoma tumor cells
The variety of applications for an x-ray laser source is very wide, limited only
by the imagination. The technique of microholography is an interesting application
with the possibility of discovering hidden secrets of the molecular world. The
study of microscopic biological structures in the living state is possible, because
the structural information can be recovered from the scattering of the intense
pulsed x-ray source by single protein molecules. The extremely short wavelength
provides high resolution and great constrast as well, while the ultra-short temporal
pulses eliminate any image blurring due to thermal motion and normal biological
activity of the sample. It also allows the recording of three-dimensional information,
while preserving the biological integrity of the sample until the actual exposure
takes place.
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Approximately 32,000 cases of melanoma cancer per year are currently diagnosed
in the United States alone, with one of the fastest annual increases among all
cancers. Great efforts are being made to study, and thus defeat, this disease.
To defeat this public health problem, the 3D holographic microscope will help
in the process of visualizing and understanding the characteristics of this cancer.
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In an effort to make a significant contribution to the growing body of medical
and scientific research regarding this disease, the departments of Physics, Bioengineering,
Electrical Engineering and Pathology at the University of Illinois-Chicago have
forged a collaboration. An x-ray imaging microscope developed within the Department of Physics is now being adapted to obtain critical
images of previously unobservable cellular structures. In the future, methods
may be used to eradicate the tumor and/or block its ability to metastasize. |