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Genetically Encoded Phase Contrast Agents For Digital Holographic Microscopy, Arash Farhadi, Manuel Bedrossian, Justin Lee, Gabrielle H. Ho, Mikhail G. Shapiro, Jay Nadeau

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Quantitative phase imaging and digital holographic microscopy have shown great promise for visualizing the motion, structure and physiology of microorganisms and mammalian cells in three dimensions. However, these imaging techniques currently lack molecular contrast agents analogous to the fluorescent dyes and proteins that have revolutionized fluorescence microscopy. Here we introduce the first genetically encodable phase contrast agents based on gas vesicles. The relatively low index of refraction of the air-filled core of gas vesicles results in optical phase advancement relative to aqueous media, making them a “positive” phase contrast agent easily distinguished from organelles, dyes, or microminerals. We demonstrate this …