# 3D imaging of cells and tissues using polarized light microscopy

> **NIH NIH R35** · MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY · 2022 · $501,835

## Abstract

Project Summary
We are proposing to continue our development of polarized light microscopy techniques for analyzing the
architectural dynamics inside living cells, tissues and whole organisms. We propose to add comprehensive
polarization analysis to two multi-view imaging techniques, the dual-view plane illumination microscope, or
diSPIM, and the light-field microscope. Both types of polarized light microscopes represent significant new
developments that for the first time enable the measurement of molecular orientation parameters in three
dimensions at high spatial (0.5µm in all three dimensions) and temporal (faster than 1Hz) resolution. The
project includes the development of the hardware, software and algorithms required for capturing multi-view
image data and their tomographic reconstruction into 3-dimensional maps of birefringence and polarized
fluorescence. The instrument development is guided by several application projects including the remodeling of
the extracellular collagen matrix by fibroblast cells and the spatial coordination in the assembly of higher order
septin structures inside eukaryotic cells. Information about the technology, including software components and
instrument design that are developed under this grant, will be made available for users and developers on an
established web portal called OpenPolScope.org.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10381555
- **Project number:** 5R35GM131843-04
- **Recipient organization:** MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** RUDOLF OLDENBOURG
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $501,835
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10381555

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10381555, 3D imaging of cells and tissues using polarized light microscopy (5R35GM131843-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10381555. Licensed CC0.

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