HSI Report: Learning cuttingedge bioimaging technology
University News | July 31, 2017
Millions of molecules or more are moving around in a single cell tobuild up cellular structures and trigger chemical reactions. Theircollective activities form cells, tissues, organs, and eventually our lives.
Since the first microscope was invented in the late 16th century,philosophers and scientists have been captivated by biologicalarchitectures and phenomena under the microscope. Their
uninterrupted passion to “see the invisible” has advanced microscopes
to what they are now. Microscopes nowadays can do far more thanmagnify.

Participants learning how to operate a Confocal Laser Scanning
Microscope during practical training.

From July 24th to 30th, as part of the Hokkaido Summer Institute(HSI), a series of courses took place to introduce cutting edge bioimaging methodologies using special microscopes such as the ConfocalLaser Scanning Microscope. The courses combine lectures andpractical trainings in the lab instructed by internationally renowned
scientists, and have attracted a number of grad students, includingones from overseas.
The program focuses in particular on the methodology called
Fluorescent Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) by which scientists cantrack and quantify the movements and interactions of molecules inliving cells with single-molecule sensitivity. The program covers otherrelated methodologies such as FCCS and FRAP that are often used toinvestigate biological mechanisms.

Dr. Vladana Vukojevic from Karolinska Institutet giving a lecture onDay 2.

Professor Masataka Kinjo of Hokkaido University who organized theprogram says “When those microscopes were introduced to the labs
around 15 years ago, only a few people knew how to utilize them inbiological experiments. So, we started a workshop in 2003 jointly with
Osaka University to let grad students learn the technology. Two years
ago, we opened this course as part of the HSI to invite students fromoverseas as well.”One of the participants, Harikrushnan Balasubramanian from theNational University of Singapore, says “We are an FCS-based lab and I
wanted to learn the basics of the technology so that I can use it to study
the dynamics of the membrane protein called Epidermal GrowthFactor Receptor (EGFR). This course is comprehensive and yet very
intense. I have never seen such a program dedicated to this particularsubject.” Amrita Kumari from the Regional Center for Biotechnology inIndia says “I work on the dynamics of motor proteins during cell
divisions. I wanted to learn FCS and other methodologies to apply
them to my research in the future.”
Another participant, Svetlana Jovanic from the University of Belgrade,says “I met Dr. Kinjo when I was visiting Karolinska Institutet in
Sweden and got fascinated by his work and methodologies.* I will stayin his lab for another week to discuss how to utilize thosemethodologies in studying the molecular pathology of ALS(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).”*A part of the program at Karolinska Institutet was held as one of
Hokkaido University’s Learning Satellite Programs.

From the left, Svetlana Jovanic from the University of Belgrade, Amrita
Kumari from the Regional Center for Biotechnology, and Harikrushnan
Balasubramanian from the National University of Singapore