Open AccessTechnoreview: Focusing light on infection in four dimensions
Author(s) -
Roux Pascal,
Münter Sylvia,
Frischknecht Freddy,
Herbomel Philippe,
Shorte Spencer L.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2004.00374.x
Subject(s) - biology , context (archaeology) , visualization , data science , host (biology) , computer science , computational biology , field (mathematics) , artificial intelligence , ecology , paleontology , mathematics , pure mathematics
Summary The fusion of cell biology with microbiology has bred a new discipline, cellular microbiology, in which the primary aim is to understand host–pathogen interactions at a tissue, cellular and molecular level. In this context, we require techniques allowing us to probe infection in situ and extrapolate quantitative information on its spatiotemporal dynamics. To these ends, fluorescent light‐based imaging techniques offer a powerful tool, and the state‐of‐the‐art is defined by paradigms using so‐called multidimensional (multi‐D) imaging microscopy. Multi‐D imaging aims to visualize and quantify biological events through time and space and, more specifically, refers to combinations of: three (3D, volume), four (4D, time) and five (5D, multiwavelength)‐dimensional recordings. Successful multi‐D imaging depends upon understanding the available technologies and their limitations. This is especially true in the field of microbiology where visualization of infectious/pathogenic activities inside living host systems presents particular technical challenges. Thus, as multi‐D imaging rapidly becomes a common bench tool to the cellular microbiologist, this review provides the new user with some of the necessary technical insight required to get the best from these methods.