| New laser method reproduces masterworks to protein patterns |
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| 11 novembre 2008 | |
Canadian scientists reproduce Girl with a Pearl Earring with protein patterning techniqueCanadian researchers have created a new protein patterning technique that’s enabled them to reproduce complex cellular environments and a miniature version of a masterpiece painting. According to a new study published in the journal Lab on a Chip, scientists from Université de Montréal, the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute have developed a laser technology that can mimic the protein patterns that surround cells in vivo and that could lead to great advances in neuroscience.  “We have created a system that can fabricate complex methods to grow cells,” says Santiago Costantino, the study’s lead author and a scientist at the Université de Montréal and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre.  Santiago Costantino Using laser-assisted protein adsorption by photobleaching (LAPAP), the scientific team bound fluorescently-tagged molecules to a glass slides and created patterns of proteins similar to those of the human body. They then demonstrated how flexible and precise this technique could be by reproducing a fluorescent micro version of Girl With a Pearl Earring. “The flexibility, precision and ease of this technique will hopefully lead to increased access in protein patterning, which could lead to major advances in science,” says Dr. Costantino, who is also a member of the BioFemtoVision Canadian Research Group, which includes researchers from the Université de Montréal and the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique who are working on developing new laser technologies for vision science. “Our next goal is to extend laser-assisted protein adsorption by photobleaching to fabricate more complex protein combinations and distributions,” adds Dr. Costantino. “We want to improve our imitation of the chemical environment found in the early stages of developing organisms.” About the study : The article, “Patterning protein concentration using laser-assisted adsorption by photobleaching, LAPAP," published in Lab on a Chip, was authored by Santiago Costantino and Jonathan M. Bélisle of the Université de Montréal and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre, as well as James P. Correia, Paul W. Wiseman and Timothy E. Kennedy of McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute. Partners in research : This study was funded through grants from the Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada, the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. On the Web About Lab on a Chip About the Université de Montréal About the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre About McGill University About the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital For more information, please contact Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins International press attaché Université de Montréal Telephone: 514-343-7593 Email: sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca |
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