Biology subjects

Merces, G. O. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Merces, G. O. T..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

The Incubot: A 3D Printer-Based Microscope for Long-Term Live Cell Imaging within a Tissue Culture Incubator

Commercial live cell imaging systems represent a large financial burden to research groups, while current open source incubator microscopy systems lack adaptability and are sometimes inadequate for complex imaging experimentation. We present here a low-cost microscope designed for inclusion within a conventional tissue culture incubator. The build is constructed using an entry level 3D printer as the basis for the motion control system, with Raspberry Pi imaging and software integration, allowing for reflected, oblique, and fluorescence imaging of live cell monolayers. The open source nature of the design is aimed to facilitate adaptation by both the community at large and by individual researchers/groups. The development of an adaptable and easy-to-use graphic user interface (GUI) allows for the scientist to be at the core of experimental design. Simple modifications of the base GUI code, or generation of an entirely purpose-built script, will allow microscopists to place their experimental design as the priority, as opposed to designing experiments to fit their current equipment. The build can be constructed for a cost of roughly C1000 and thus serves as a low-cost and adaptable addition to the open source microscopy community. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=176 SRC="FIGDIR/small/121608v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (68K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1aa58ceorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@ac4678org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@467ae2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12da951_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Characterising the Behaviour of the Ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus in a Laboratory Aquaculture System

Neurobiological research focuses on a small number of model organisms, broadening the pool of animals used in research may lead to important insights into the evolution of nervous systems. The ctenophore is emerging as a promising model, but we are currently lacking an understanding into the relationship between behaviour and environment which is in part due to a lack of a standardised long-term laboratory husbandry system. We established a collection and husbandry system for wild caught Pleurobrachia pileus. We examined the behavioural profile of the animals over time in this controlled environment. We could reliably catch them on a seasonal basis, and we could keep the animals alive in our specialised aquarium system for months at a time. P. pileus spends most of the time in an inactive drifting state which is interspersed with periods of one of 5 active behaviours. The most common active behaviours are tentacle resetting and feeding. The longest duration behaviours include swimming up or down. Time of day does not appear to alter their behavioural profile. Gaining a better understanding of the behaviour of these animals has important implications for systems and evolutionary neuroscience.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

The Flexiscope: a Low Cost, Flexible, Convertible, and Modular Microscope with Automated Scanning and Micromanipulation.

With technologies rapidly evolving, many research institutions are now opting to invest in costly, high-quality, specialised microscopes which are shared by many researchers. As a consequence, the user may not have the ability to adapt a microscope to their specific needs and limitations in experimental design are introduced. A flexible work-horse microscopy system is a valuable tool in any laboratory to meet the diverse needs of a research team and promote innovation in experimental design. We have developed the Flexiscope; a multi-functional, adaptable, efficient and high-performance microscopy/electrophysiology system for everyday applications in a neurobiology laboratory. The core optical components are relatively constant in the three configurations described here; an upright configuration, an inverted configuration and an upright/electrophysiology configuration. We have provided a comprehensive description of the Flexiscope. We show that this method is capable of oblique infrared illumination imaging, multi-channel fluorescent imaging, and automated 3D scanning of larger specimens. Image quality is conserved across the three configurations of the microscope, and conversion between configurations is possible quickly and easily, while the motion control system can be repurposed to allow sub-micron computer-controlled micromanipulation. The Flexiscope provides similar performance and usability to commercially available systems. However, as it can be easily reconfigured for multiple roles, it can remove the need to purchase multiple microscopes, giving significant cost savings. The modular re-configurable nature allows the user to customise the system to their specific needs and adapt/upgrade the system as challenges arise, without requiring specialised technical skills.

neuroscience↗