R E S E A R C H @ H K U S T
49
3μm
Conventional
light sheet
microscope
HKUST Line Bessel Sheet (LBS) light sheet
microcsope providing high resolution images,
with improved optical sectioning and signal-to-
noise ratio at the cellular level, compared with
a conventional light sheet microscope.
Creative interdisciplinary collaboration
between physicists, biologists, and chemists
has enabled HKUST researchers to develop
new-generation bioimaging innovations
in super-resolution and light sheet
microscopy. The leading-edge work has
put Hong Kong on the map as a center
for such technology and is being made
available beyond the University through
two start-up companies led by physicist
Prof Shengwang Du.
The initial microscopy project was
started by Professor Emeritus Michael
Loy, then Acting Head of the Division
of Life Science. Prof Loy saw the gap
in microscope technology and brought
LIFE UNDER
THE MICROSCOPE
together a group of physicists and life
scientists to develop the University’s own
super-resolutionmicroscope. This created
an interactive ecosystem whereby the
physicists used their knowledge of atomic,
molecular and optical physics to assist the
life scientists in their investigations of tiny
structures in cells and tissues.
The result was state-of-the-art
super-resolution localization fluorescence
microscopes, which have advanced
HKUST life scientists’ capability to gain
fresh insights on topics ranging from the
fine details of mitochondrial function to
vesicle dynamics to protein co-localization
(see also
Research@HKUST
2016).
Three technological breakthroughs
developed by Prof Du, Prof Loy and then
PhD student Teng Zhao assisted HKUST
in creating their first super-resolution
microscope: stabilizing the smallest
vibrations, even from air-conditioning,
through“activelocking”tocaptureimages
to 20 nanometers, thus increasing image
accuracy andprecisionby 10-fold compared
with conventional equipment; increasing
the speed of image acquisition and
simultaneously providing multiple colors
in a single sample, thus enabling life
scientists to distinguish between the tiniest
molecules and cellular components; and
offering user-friendly ways to optimize
the protocol for biological sample
preparation, increasing accessibility to a
wide range of microscopic applications.
More than 10 research groups at
HKUST are now using this cutting-
edge technology, with the physicists
constantlyaddingnewfeaturestoenhance
either the capabilities of the system or the
user-friendliness of its interface. These
efforts are undertaken at the University’s
Super-Resolution Imaging Center.
Following the success of this
microscope, the team went on to develop
high-resolution light sheet microscopy
technology which can reduce light
exposure by 1,000 times compared with
conventional microscopes. This significantly
reduces phototoxic damage to cells, thus
enabling imaging of live cells. In addition,
the HKUST model produces 5D images
with the additional dimensions of time
and color, while conventional confocal
microscopes can only produce 3D images.
Both microscopy projects received
funding from the Hong Kong Research
Grants Council as well as the University.
Patented super-resolution microscopy
technology has been licensed to spin-off
company NanoBioImaging Limited,
co-founded by Prof Du in 2013. As there
are few other tools with a similar level of
sophistication readily available in
Greater China, the HKUST technology
is being used by other universities
in Hong Kong, Mainland China and
Taiwan, and the company is ready to
expand to the global market. A second
spin-off company, Light Innovation
Technology Limited, was launched in
2016 to commercialize the light sheet
advances. Its first product has been
released for demonstration. Both com-
panies have received start-up funding
support fromtheHong Kong government.
PROF SHENGWANG DU
Professor of Physics
Our light sheet technology
enables scientists to take
images of even the most
light-sensitive specimen in
greater detail and without
killing the cells
3μm
HKUST LBS
light sheet
microscope
Prof Shengwang Du (right)
with his student Dr Teng Zhao.
